Sweet Revenge
by LivnaMalinconia
Summary: Also a humor fic. Two ordinary girls from America are transported into the Universe of the Four Gods, and become the new Priestesses of Genbu and Byakko. Read the fic to find out more, TasXOC and 'ChiriXOC. BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS! PLEASE RR! Please.
1. Transport

(A/n: Livna: Hey everybody. This is a fun fan-fic the me and my best friend, Malinconia, decided to write to help cure our obsession with Fushigi Tasuki, I mean Yuugi. Malinconia: (laughs) Silly, silly Livna… anyway, yeah, what she said. And we don't own any of the Fushigi Yuugi characters - I only own Serena, I created her character, Tim as well. Livna: And I only own Emily and Joe. Well hope you all enjoy the fic, update will come soon. Oh and any and all flames will be ignored or be used to help Tasuki's tessen in battles.)

Emily Sue Graves sat on her bed, her golden hair falling around her shoulders. Her legs were crossed under her and she was staring at her best friend Serena Aretha Pattan.

Serena also sat on the bed, her greenish-eyes glaring at her friend; her coppery hair that in the back was cut boy-short and gradually got longer towards the front, (To her chin, maybe a bit past), and was naturally curly fell into her eyes making her brush it away with her slightly pale hand. Her red-velvety pants clad legs crossed underneath her as well. Her arms crossed over her chest, her upper half covered in a quarter sleeved v-neck shirt, with a black and white horizontal striped design on it, and at the bottom corner there was a tie from the shirt.

Emily picked up Sabriel ( her stuffed cat) after turning her radio on to KORD. Emily distractedly stroked Sabriel while shaking her hair out of her face. "My nose is getting tickled by my hair." she stated.

Serena laughed, picking up Sirius and Whiska, her stuffed tabby cat and stuffed black puppy, and plopped them down in her lap. "Mine often does that." she said shaking her head.

Emily's eyes widened. " I just realized…I'M A BAKASARU!" steams glaring at her wall of Japanese.

Serena raised and eyebrow at her friend, and soon snorted , and burst out laughing. "You just figured that out?" she joked. "Naw, just kidding, What are you talking about? You're not a stupid monkey."

Emily snorted, " According to _Talitha _I am stupid and I was born in the year of the monkey, so I must be a stupid monkey."

" Oh shut-up, at least you aren't 'Dorky'." Serena stuck her tongue out at Emily.

Emily smiles and laughs. " Atleast neither of us are Nakago." Picks up a little twig. " I could beat him so easily with this… don't you think?"

Serena burst into evil snickers. "Very easily. I mean, I could probably even beat him with…" she looked around, and spotted something, picking it up - it happening to be an empty water bottle, "this. Or, better yet, the lid. Smother him! Ha." she snorted.

Emily laughs till she is coughing. " Those are to kind. We should cause him pain when killing him. Let's do it with…"picks up pillow" This!"

Serena grinned, and laughed in her strange, twisted, deep evil laugh that she does only when she is hyper. "Hwahahahah… yesssh! Pain… pain for the evil annoying guy that has blond hair! How about… a trunk of books toppling on his head? Oh, that's so nice. I can see that…" she began to picture a SD Nakago standing under a trunk of books that is falling towards him.

Emily glowers. " Why does he have to have blond hair? And it is almost the same length as mine! Also we have both ears pierced!" glowers about it.

Serena shrugged, and shook her head, a half smile on her face. "You _really_ are bugged by that fact, ne? Well… not that I _blame_ you…" she stated, rolling her eyes. "It's like they're saying blond's are evil. You're not evil."

Emily twitches trying not to punch something (namely Serena). " Having anything in common with that incompetent baka makes me feel sick." gags and takes a drink of water. " And that comment you made earlier about my earrings didn't help my opinion…." glares.( _flash back: Serena gasps staring at Emily. Emily stares at Serena, " What is it?" Serena replied "You earrings just glowed blue like Nakago's. And when I looked at you out of the corner of my eye you almost looked like him….")_

Serena just grinned at her friend, "Well, it was true. Which, the fact that I can't see all that great doesn't help, so you don't _really_ look at all like 'im. But, I still can't blame you."

Emily glares. " If I ever meet….." suddenly she was interrupted by loud hissing noise and her room was filled with sleeping gas. Emily fell back and onto her bed as did Serena.

Suddenly her door opened and a figure walked in with long golden hair and two black earrings. He snickered and said in a deep evil voice, " That will teach you to talk about my brother that way. Shall we meet again… priestesses." He smiled evilly as he melted into the wall.

__

The Next Day

Serena stared strangely around the large, empty party room in the library. "… Are we early? There's no one waiting for chairs…" she stated, in a confused tone. She looked to Em with a questioning gaze. "It's empty, except for the stage - which is always there - and the piano. Which is also always there. And the door… to the storage room…"

Emily pointed at the door." We're not early. We're here to set up the chairs from that storage room. So let's get to it!" Emily smiled and walked toward the storage room door.

Serena walked over as well, grabbed the door handle, and turned it. They walked into the room, and looked around, seeing chairs stacked up, lining the walls in a room big enough to be a small bedroom. And, in the middle of the floor, lay a red leather book, which they thought to be quite out of place, because, for one thing, all the books were kept in a completely different area in the library. Serena looked at the book, then at Emily, with an eyebrow raised. "Where the heck did that come from?"

Emily walked over to the book and picked it up. "Who knows." Reads the title and laughs. " Universe of The Four Gods. So pathetic. Alright whoever's there can come-out now.."

Serena raised an eyebrow when she heard Emily read the name of the book. Amd strode over beside her, glancing at the title, which was, indeed, 'the Universe of the Four gods'. She laughed, and shook her head, glancing around at all the chairs. "Hey, Talitha, or whoever it is that is playin' this joke on us, what are you doin'? April fools passed a while ago. This joke's a bit out of date."

Emily snickered. " Yeah. Oh well since you aren't coming we'll humor you a little bit." Emily smiled at Serap and opened the book to the first page and handed it to Serap. " You do the honors of reading the first word. Wait a sec.. It's in English!" Bursts out laughing. 

Serena looked down at it, and saw automatically that it was in English. She snickered, and shook her head. "Talitha, this is a really lame joke, y'know? Because, it was in Ancient Chinese, not modern English. Baka cousin…" she then turned the cover, and began to read the first page. "'This is a story of a girl, who made her wishes come true.' Well, that's right. 'Just like the girl in the story, a girl finds the book, and will read it. The book itself is a spell. The story becomes real the moment the first page is turned.'" she snorted, and turned the first page.

Suddenly a light green light engulfed Serena and Emily and everything around them began to dissappear. " What's going on? What's happening?" Emily exclaimed clinging to Serena. Just as the last of the storage room disappeared from their vision Tim and Joe, Serena's older cousins on her mom's side, walked into the room.

Tim's eyes widened, and he gasped. "What the heck? Is that Serena and Emily? They're disappearing! Hey, get back here! Quit fading!" he ran forward to stop them from fading, but instead of grabbing them, he grabbed thin air, and nearly fell onto his face. He heard a thump behind him, and looked around, and down, to see a book. A red leather book.

Joe gasped. " Serena and Emily are disappearing… My wish has been granted!" Dances around in a circle then stops as Tim falls down. " Tim what the heck are you doing? It is just a stupid pra..ank." Joe stuttered as he read the title. "The Universe of the Four Gods. That stupid book from Fushigi Yuugi! Oh how pathetic and immature. Come on Emily…. Serena… where are you guys?" Walks around the room searching.

Tim glared at his brother momentarily, before rolling his eyes, and picking up the book, to open it to the page the girls left off at (the _SECOND_ page). He read it a few lines, and frowned deeply. "Hey… Joe? I… I think that they might've… uh… gone into this book…" he said, finding it unbelievable even to his own ears, even after seeing what happened and reading what happened.

Joe laughed and looked at his older brother like he was crazy. " Oh no don't tell me that you think that stupid anime is happening to our little sisters cousin and best friend? You baka!" Joe shook his head walking over. " Now stop this idiotic-ness so that we can find then." Joe snickered and started jumping up and down trying to find a trap door.

Tim scowled at his little brother, and aimed the book at his head. "Don't believe me? Then just read this! It might clear it up." he then threw the book, and it hit Joe directly in the head.

"Oww! That hurt!" Joe scowled rubbing his head and picked up the book. He cursed under his breath still rubbing his head as he began to read the second page but as he read the book fell from his hands. " Tim… I believe you now…."

Tim reached over, and took the book away from Joe, and began to read it once more.

* * *

Emily groaned and slowly sat up rubbing her head. " That really hurt. Serena? Are you alive?"

Serena lie beside her, completely spread out, flat on her face. "Ugh… I think so…" her slightly muffled voice said. She slowly pushed herself from the ground, and gasped slightly, reaching around and grabbing her back. "My back!"

Emily crossed her legs under her and began to look at her. " Uh… Serena… We aren't in Kansas anymore."

Serena looked at Emily with an eyebrow raised. "I know that is a quote, but we weren't even in Kansas in the first place." she said, and then looked around at their surroundings, which so happened to be a forest. "Since when did a library storage room have trees?"

Emily looked at Serena. " You don't think…… The book couldn't…… Is there any chance we are in the book?"

Serena's eyes widened, and she stared, agape, at a tall tree. "Uh… I wouldn't THINK so… but… that would explain it, I s'ppose…" she stated.

Emily smiled lightly. " Well this is a better place to land then where Yui and Miaka landed right? But they were able to figure out where they were. Where do you think we are?"

Serena completely sat up, and sat back down, with her legs crossed, and a thoughtful look on her face. "Hmm… well, this is obviously a forest… forest… there's the forest on Mt. Reikaku, so we might be there, y'know…"

Emily sighed and stood up. " Well if that is indeed where we are then we should try to find Tasuki and his bandits before they find us." Emily was about to step forward when she suddenly her the snapping of a twig. " What was that?"

Serena looked into the forest nervously, also standing up, and looking to her best friend. "Uh… whatever it is, I hope it doesn't try to eat us, or… do… something else…"

Emily inched closer to Serena. " Or do something else. Who's there?"

Suddenly, out of the bushes burst… Tasuki, holding the tessen out towards the girls, with a frown. "What're ya' doin' 'ere? Who are ya'? What's with tha clothes?" he poked Serena with the fan, to which she scowled at him. He poked her again, and she swatted at him. He poked her once more, and she growled at him. "I've only seen things like 'at once 'fore."

Emily glared at Tasuki as he poked at Serena. " What am I, bantha fodder? I mean my clothes are a lot weirder than hers!" She looked at Serena. " No offense."

Serena looked at Emily with an eyebrow raised. "Why would I take offence when you were saying my clothes aren't as weird as yours?" she inquired, before looking to Tasuki, who was staring at Emily with a confused expression on his face. "Uh… we… uh…"

Tasuki interrupted her. "What's wit' the Nakago wannabe? Wit' that 'air and…" he didn't get his sentence completely out.

The reason he didn't get it out was that Emily had, as soon as he called her a Nakago wannabe she had picked up a large stick with pokey parts and had begun beating living life out of him. " Never…NEVER CALL ME A NAKAGO WANNABE!" Emily yelled as she hit at him.

Serena stared at the spectacle with a slightly exasperated look on her face. "Tasuki, sir, can you please never say anything to do with Nakago with Emily? That's my job." she stated, quite plainly, as if it was the most obvious thing.

Emily finally stopped attacking Tasuki and stepped away from him. " I think I would give your past horse a run for his money on hurting you." Drops the stick on Tasuki's head and turns so that her back is facing him.

Tasuki, who had been crouched down, protecting his head, with his arms, winced, and looked up to make sure it was safe, before he stood up, with a frown on his face. "Past horse? Whatcha tralkin' about! I mean talkin'… ya're one'a the weirdest people I've ever met! And ya're really damn annoying!"

Emily smiles and turns to face him. "Being called the weirdest person you've ever met is one of the biggest complements you could give me. As is calling me annoying." Beams and pats him on the head.

Tasuki frowned at her, and momentarily thought about 'REKKA SHINEN'ing her. Before he had the chance to a floating hat appeared beside him.

And, out of the hat, a 'DAAA!' was heard, soon followed by a chibi Chichiri, who fell to the ground, quite painfully. "That hurt, no da…" he whimpered, rubbing his head.

Tasuki jumped slightly and then picked up the chibi hugging him. "Chichiri! Finally you're here. Will you please punish twerp number one right there!" He pointed at Emily with a shaking hand. " She nearly killed me when I called her Nakago wannabe which is what she is. "

Only after he spoke did he realize what he had said and what would happen next. Emily twitched and tried desperately not to rip him limb from limb….mainly because he was standing behind Chichiri and she did not want to hurt him. "Tasuki….you better know that if it weren't Chichiri standing between me and you you'd be all over the ground."

Chichiri sweat dropped, and stared at the girl strangely, although you couldn't really tell, because of the mask. Oh, by now he had popped back to normal, so he was no longer chibi. He looked at Tasuki, who was behind him with a fearful look on his face, and then he looked to Emily, who looked threatening. "Uh… what's going on here, no da? I sensed two life-forces that were not from this world, no da, so I came here to find out who they were, no da."

Emily smiled, "You needn't be afraid Chichiri. I won't hurt you. We're not sure what's going on ourselves. One minute we're setting up chairs the next we're laying on the ground here and I'm being called a Nakago wannabe by Tasuki."

Serena nodded her head, in agreement to what her best friend had said. Chichiri placed a hand to his mouth in thought, glanced down briefly, then looked back up at the two girls. "It sounds to me like you got sent here for a reason, no da. What is the last thing you remember, no da? How did you get here, do you remember, no da?" he asked.

Emily bit her lip in thought. " I remember we were setting up chairs for a party. Suddenly there was a light green light around us and everything began to dissappear and then next thing I knew I was laying on the ground after falling through the trees and I was in great pain."

"Light green light, no da?" Chichiri asked the golden haired girl.

Emily nodded. " Yeah.. It was eerie." Emily shivered slightly looking at Serap. " Right?"

Serena nodded vigorously, wrapping her arms around herself, as she felt a chilly wind blow through the trees. "Yeah. It was really, really weird. Kinda... scary, I guess. I mean, I've never been completely engulfed by any light before - it's not like it's a daily occurrence in my everyday life." she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Emily chuckled lightly then shivered. " What do you think happened Chichiri?"

Tasuki laughed. " Oh my a green light soooo scary." Tasuki laughed but stopped as everyone glared at him.

Serena balled her hands into fists, and stalked up to Tasuki, narrowing her eyes threateningly. "Say that again?" she asked, her voice low. She stood there, before trying to make herself taller by standing on her tiptoes, which really didn't add much to her height of 5'4".

Chichiri looked at the two red heads (well, Serena's hair has a lot of red in it, so you could basically call her a red-head), then shook his head, and looked back to Emily. "Hm... well, it sounds to me like Genbu has chose one of you as his Priestess, no da... but, that doesn't make sense, because Genbu has already had his priestess, and all of his seishi are dead, no da..."

Emily's eyes widened. " Priestess… of Genbu! But how? It doesn't make sense…"

Chichiri nodded his head in agreement, his eyebrows furrowing under the mask, but still showing the slight frown on his mask. "No, it doesn't, no da..."

Serena backed up from Tasuki, having not succeeded in her goal of making him nervous, and walked over next to Emily, to whisper in her ear, "Uh, Em? Wouldn't you think they'd wonder how we know of Genbu?"

Emily shook her head and whispered back. " Would you be wondering how we knew if you were them? Here we are to strange girls from another land suddenly here, talking of green lights and attacking one of them," smiles at the thought," do you think you'd be caring if they knew about Genbu?"

Serena blinked, then laughed slightly, shrugging, and turning around to face Chichiri and Tasuki. "Right... that makes sense..." she whispered to her friend, before realizing something. "Oh! You know, before we get any further into any conversation or anything, we should probably introduce ourselves to you guys, huh? I'm Serena."

Emily nodded slightly. " And I'm Emily. Not, " glares at Tasuki," Nakago."

Tasuki laughed, " I'm Tasuki one of the Suzaku seven."

Chichiri turned chibi, and made a victory sign with his right hand, "And I'm Chichiri of the Suzaku seven, no da!" he exclaimed, in his cute chibified voice, then he popped back to normal size.

Emily smiled at his chibi cuteness. " Well now that we know each other, I have another question. If one of is the Priestess of Genbu, then which one of is it. And if it is only one of us… Why did both of us come?"

The expression on the blue haired monk's mask changed from just plain hyper-happiness, to thoughtful-happiness. "I don't know, no da. Maybe it was because both of you were there, no da. And if that is the case, then one of you will most likely get sent back to your world pretty soon, no da."

Serena's eyes widened, and she looked over at her best friend. "What? One of us might get to stay and one might have to leave! Dag it! That can't happen!" she snapped, frowning fiercely, glancing from Chichiri, to Tasuki, to Emily, then back to the two warriors of Suzaku, who were looking at her strangely. "Uh... are you wondering what 'dag it' means? It means basically 'dammit', except 'dag' isn't really a cuss word..."

Emily looked from Serap then at the two warriors and back again. " But that would mean one of us would be here alone… without the other. And that would just be…. Not right." Emily ended the sentence unable to find a better word or phrase.

Tasuki looked at the golden haired girl and the red haired one, the amusment on his face dissipating. " You to wouldn't e 'lone. You'd 'ave us." He exclaimed wrapping one around Chichiri's shoulders as he spoke.

Chichiri nodded, looking from one girl to the other. "Yes, you'd have us, no da. Now, Serena, Emily, Tasuki, we should probably go somewhere, because it looks like it's getting close to night time, no da. Not to mention, it seems to be getting colder, na no da. How about I teleport us back to the palace, since Tasuki and I are supposed to be going back soon, anyway, no da?" he said, taking off his navy blue cloak (I guess you'd call it...) with the strange bubble patterns on it, spreading on the ground, then standing back up, and hitting it with his staff, which caused it to light up.

Emily looked at the cloak, unsure if she should step on it and then stepped forward on to it. Tasuki stepped on after her and looked at Serena. " Ya comin'?"

Serena stared at the cloak for a minute, then looked up at Tasuki and Emily. "Yes. I'm for sure not staying here, especially since I brought no coat." she stated, quite plainly, as she slowly stepped onto the cloak. As soon as she did, they began to sink into it. "Eep!" she cried, even though she knew it was coming. As soon as all of them had sunk into it, Chichiri stepped onto it, disappearing faster, and the cloak went with him.

Emily unconsciously pressed against Tasuki as they began to sink. When she realized what she was doing though she pulled away and shook herself pretending to gag.

As soon as they all disappeared from the forest, they all suddenly found themselves falling onto a hard palace floor, in a pile. Serena fell, once again, flat on her face, and a chibi Chichiri fell onto her back, not noticing that he had fallen on her.

Tasuki landed on the ground next to Serena and Emily fell on top of him. " That's the second time I've fallen due to magic today. At least this time I landed on something soft." Emily said then realized she was on Tasuki.

" GET OFF OF ME!" Tasuki yelled shoving Emily off of him an standing up.

Serena, being sprawled out on the ground, face down, with a weight that she had no clue what was, was irritated. "Whatever is on me, get off, would you please?" she grumbled, her voice muffled from the simple fact that her face was smushed into the floor.

Chichiri looked down at the soft thing he had landed on, and quickly got up, popping back to normal. "Oh, I'm sorry Serena, I didn't mean to land on you, no da."

Emily rubbed her side and stood up. " A simple please would have gotten me off fire head." Emily muttered to Tasuki glaring at him. Emily looked around the room then at Chichiri. " Where are we Chichiri?"

Tasuki glared at her. " Who you calling fire head sun brat?" Emily glared at him but resisted the urge to turn him into bantha fadder.

Chichiri shook his head at the exchange between the two, before answering the golden haired girl. "We're in the Konan palace, no da. I brought us here because I need to discuss with Empress Houki about you two, no da; plus, I didn't think you two'd want to stay in Tasuki's bandits' stronghold, no da."

Emily nodded and glared at Tasuki. " Nice palace this is. And we would most definitely not want to go to Tasuki's bandit's stronghold. Nothing could get me to go there."

Serena nodded, as she looked around the empty hallway they were in. "Yeah, this is a very nice palace... well, most palaces ARE nice, but... I've never been in a palace, so, this is the nicest palace I've ever been in..." she stated, chuckling slightly, as she looked back to the other three, with a smile on her face.

Emily hugged herself rubbing her arms." Is it just me, or is it freezing in here though?" Emily shivered then jumped out the way as Tasuki yelled, "REKKA SHINEN." Emily screamed as she hit the floor," Why did you do that!" Tasuki smiled and shrugged. " Just trying to warm you up."

Serena and Chichiri stared strangely at the two, and soon, the copper haired girl unwillingly found herself chuckling. Chichiri glanced at her, and noticed she was shivering, so he pulled his bubble-cloak off, draping it around her shoulders. "You're shivering, no da. Here, no da." he said to her, then turned to Tasuki with a slight frown, "Tasuki! Give Emily your overcoat, no da!"

Tasuki stared at Chichiri then growled not wanting to fight with him and handed his overcoat, well more like threw it down next to her. " There ya go." He muttered and stared outside. Emily stood up and pulled the overcoat around her shoulders. " Thank-you Tasuki." She said watching him.

Serena thanked Chichiri, to which he nodded, and then turned around, walking in that direction. "Follow me, no da! We need to go see the Empress, so we can get you two some rooms, no da." he said, and the older of the two girls (Serena: 19, Emily: 16) hurriedly began following him at the word 'rooms'.

Emily followed the other two and sighed when she saw Tasuki walking the other way. She hurried to catch up to them, enjoying the sound of 'rooms' as well.

The three walked up to a door, and as they did, two guards spotted Chichiri, and immediately opened the door for him. He nodded in thanks to them, then led the two girls into the room. Once they were in the throne room, he knelt before the Empress, motioning for the two girls to do the same. "Empress Houki, no da."

The violet haired Empress stood up from the throne, a smile on her face, and walked down the steps, to stop right in front of Chichiri and the girls. "Chichiri. You may stand up, you know that; you're a warrior of Suzaku, a friend. Your friends may stand as well." she said, politely, and the three did so. "What brings you to the palace? And who are these two?"

Emily watched the Empress in wonder, amazing at how beautiful she was. Emily looked away briefly as she realized she was staring, unsure if she should say something.

Chichiri smiled at her, glancing from Emily, to Serena, and then back to Houki. "Well, Highness, these two are the reason why we're here, no da. First of all, this is Serena," he motioned to the red head, who had her head slightly bowed, in respect, "and this is Emily, no da." he then motioned to Emily. "And, I have reason to believe that one of them is... well, surprisingly, one of them might be a Priestess of Genbu, no da."

Houki's eyes widened slightly in shock, and she looked to Serena, then to Emily. "What? But, Chichiri, you must be mistaken, Hokkan has already had their Priestess."

Emily bowed her head respectfully when he said her name. Emily glanced at Serena wondering what Chichiri would say next.

Chichiri shook his head, the expression on his mask slightly showing the confused look on his face underneath it. "Yes, they have, but, they're from another world. And they said that a light green light brought them here, no da. Genbu's color is green; but, even if it wasn't green, it would still be strange, because Byakko, Seiryuu, and Suzaku have all had their priestesses as well. I brought them here, because I wanted to discuss this with you." the Empress could tell that what he said was completely serious, because the cheerful 'no da's had been dropped from his speech pattern.

Houki nodded her head, then smiled, shaking her head slightly. "That should wait until tomorrow. It's nearly ten, and these two girls are obviously exhausted. Serena, Emily, would you like me to show you to your rooms?" she asked, politely.

Serena, not sure if she should lift her head, just nodded, and said in reply, "Yes please, Empress." her voice proved that she was uncomfortable being around royalty. "I am... uh... quite tired."

Emily nodded her head in agreement, " Thank you Empress, for giving us a place to stay and all." Emily smiled and yawned. " I didn't realize how tired I was…"

Tasuki walked around the grounds thinking about the two girls from another world. He shook his head and stopped on a bridge, (THE bridge), staring out over the wall. Why are they here? he kept thinking lost in thought.

After a few minutes, Chichiri popped up beside him, and greeted, "What are you doing here, Tasuki, no da?"

Tasuki jumped and almost fell into the water when Chichiri appeared. " Ya' know, I 'eally 'eally 'ate when you do 'at!" Tasuki glared then smiled. " I'm just 'alking around, not doing anything." He smiled unconvincingly.

Chichiri raised an eyebrow at the younger warrior, obviously not believing that he was 'just walking around not doing anything'. "I see, no da. Well, I just wanted to find you, and tell you that Emily is sleeping in the room next to your's, and Serena in the room next to mine, no da. And I wanted to see what you were doing, no da."

Tasuki smiled at the room arrangements and looked at Chichiri. "I think I'm going to go call it a night, maybe talk to sun head for a little… learn more about how they came here." Tasuki smiled and hopped off down the road toward the castle.

A shadow crept down slowly down a hall, glancing down it one way, then the other, before walking a ways more, and stopping in front of a door. The shadow reached out with one hand, and knocked on the door. "Em? You awake in there?" the shadow spoke, revealing itself to be Serena. She listened for a reply, and when none came, she slid open the door, and burst into the room. "Emily! I need to talk to you!" she said loudly, but only loud enough for it to reach the members of the room.

Emily jumped awake, her hair falling over her face, her bedcovers etc. getting twisted around her. " Wha…what's wrong! What time is it?" Emily replied groggily as she tried to untangle herself and get out of bed but only succeeded in falling down.

The older girl shook her head, trying not to chuckle at her friend's grogginess, since she, herself, was just as tired. She yawned slightly, and walked over to a chair, sitting down on it. "Nothing's wrong, per say... but... I wanted to talk to you about this whole thing. You know, the whole getting transported here, one of us being the Priestess of Genbu, and one of us getting sent back to our world... everything."

The younger girl sat up rubbing her head as she started to wake up more. " I'm scared Serap. I mean… It would awesome to be the Priestess of Genbu… if I am that is…but I don't want to be here without you. I'm afraid of what will happen to me or you when the other had gone." Emily sighed and hugged her knees watching her best friend.

Serena nodded her head bending forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and her head on her fists. "Yeah... we don't even know the seven that would have to protect us, whichever one of us is the Priestess of Genbu... well, I do, since I'm reading Fushigi Yuugi 2 Genbu Kaiden, but still." she said, shrugging her shoulders, and yawning once more. "But, of course, if one of us does get sent back to our world, we can always read about what happens to the other... but that would make us feel helpless, so, that would really just make us feel worse..."

" I need to read that after you. I don't want to go back, especially if I knew you were still here. I would feel so totally useless to you." Emily sighed and looked at Serena. " Which one of us do you think will be sent back? And what will happen to the one stays?"

"I really don't know... but, I have this feeling that I'm not the Priestess of Genbu... I don't know why, I just don't think I am." Serena said, with a shrug of her shoulders, and glanced down at the floor. "So, I'll probably get sent back. Heh, just, hopefully I won't get sent back out, then back in, and become a Priestess of a different god and your enemy..."

The younger girl shivered slightly. " We can't be enemies…. We're best friends." Emily sighed and closed her eyes shivering out of fear of what is to come.

Suddenly a shadow appeared in the doorway. " Now now Priestess of Genbu, you shouldn't be sulking." a deep voice said, one that sounded much like Nakago's. Suddenly Serena was surrounded by that same green light and was slowly disappearing. " SERENA!" Emily screamed but found she couldn't move when she tried to stop her friend from leaving. " NO!" She yelled as Serena disappeared. Then she felt a hand clasp around throat and felt a blade at the back of her neck. " Silence Priestess. I will not hurt you but…" Emily stifled a scream as she felt her hair being cut. " I will leave you this reminder of my presence." Then the voice and shadow disappeared and Emily collapsed to the floor asleep.

Joe's eyes widened as he read over Tim's shoulder in there bedroom. " Serena got sent back! But where to?" Joe exclaimed then read on.

Suddenly, a light green light flashed somewhere above them, grabbing their attention. They both looked that way, and saw Serena's form appearing directly above them. Before either of them could think to move, the light disappeared, and she fell onto both of them. "Oomph...!" she breathed as the air seemed to be knocked out of her. She lay on top of them for a minute, before rolling off them, and grabbing the book. "EMILY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" she shouted into the book.

Joe grumbled trying to breathe even after Serena had rolled off of him. " Stop trying cous, we've already tried and we can't contact those in the book." Joe said moving to stand behind Serena.

Serena glanced back at her very-slightly-older cousin, with a confused expression on her face, stating clearly that she hadn't even noticed that they'd been there. She then looked back at the book, and scowled. "Oh yeah? Well, I just so happen to know how to contact her... first of all, I need to find something we both have..." she racked her mind for something, and soon, the blood red bead bracelet on her wrist came to mind, and she almost shouted in triumph, tugging it off her wrist. "EMILY! EM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? ARE-YOU-OKAY?"

Emily jumped slightly at the sound of Serena's voice. " Serena? I can hear you…but how? Are you alright? I'm fine… Where are you?" Emily yelled.

Serena's voice echoed from somewhere around her, "It's our bracelets! You know, the metalic silver one, and the red one? I'm shouting into my bracelet as if it's a telephone, which feels really, really weird. Anyway, I'm fine - I'm glad you're okay! What happened! Who was that guy? Was it Nakago!"

Emily then understood and started to shout into her bracelet as well." I'm not sure. I never really saw him… but his voice wasn't quite Nakago's and his shadow definitely wasn't that of Nakago's. I don't know who it was… And Serena…. If you ever go somewhere without your bracelet while I'm in here…. You are going to die."

The older girl's voice laughed, then replied, "Yeah, I don't plan on taking it off at all. Well, unless it falls off, of course, then it would be off... but it wouldn't be my fault, so you couldn't blame me! Hm... so, it wasn't Nakago... then who could it have been?..." then, another voice was heard in the background, then Serena yelling at the other person,

"I'm going to try to get back, okay, Em! I'm not going to let you be in there by yourself! Besides, I want to hang out with Chichiri and Tasuki, too, it wouldn't be fair for you to get them all to yourself!"

Emily laughed lightly. " Serena… be careful. If you do come back come back prepared… take as long as you need…. As long as I have Tasuki and Chichiri I'll be alright. Don't worry about me. Also we shouldn't use our bracelets except for in time of greatest need… we don't know how much magic they have or how long they can connect us. And is there someone there with you?"

Serena's voice snorted slightly, and replied, "Yeah. Evidently, Joe and Tim have taken the roles of Keisuke and Tetsuya... I think they've been reading everything that's been happening... not that much HAS happened, but still. Anyway, yeah, Tim and Joe are here. I'm gonna make Tim drive me back to our houses, and I'll get a bunch of stuff that we'll need, okay? Can you give me a list of what you'll want and need?"

Emily laughed," I'm sure they play the roles perfectly. I'll need….um… my dad's sword… my pocket knives… my lipstick… a pen and noteboook…umm…and grab to of the phones from my house so you and I can keep contact in this world, or your group and my group if we get separated.. You might want to grab some food…. And that should do it. But Serena…. Don't try to hard to get back… I think you might be safer there… I mean it's oblivious that man will be back.. Who knows what he'll do next time…"

Once again, the older girl's voice snorted, "Yeah right. I'm not going to just leave you there by yourself. I personally don't feel like losing my best friend, any time soon - and don't worry, you won't lose me either.

I'll be perfectly safe... well, most likely... just in case, I'm gonna bring a weapon or two for myself as well. Well, I better go now, since the longer we talk, the fast time flies there - who knows, however long it takes me to get our stuff, it might take three months! Eek! Let's hope not! Well, bye until I get back. Or whenever we talk next."

Emily sighed. " You're right. Be careful," then Emily lowered her voice so only Serena could here," You might want to bring Tim or Joe with you as well…just one though.." Emily smiled and said in a normal voice, " Bye Serena.. See you soon." Emily smiled and removed her bracelet from her wrist severing the line, and putting it on the wrist .

Tim started, then nodded his head, standing up from his current position of sitting on the floor, watching his two and a half year younger cousin shout at her bracelet. "Okay, then. Come on, Joe, Serena, let's hurry... normally, I would find this really stupid, but strangely, I'm just worried..." he said, as they walked out the storage room door, and then out of the library.

Joe stood and followed them grabbing the book on his way out, continuing to read. He wanted to believe this was a stupid prank… and that it was stupid and he tried to show that he felt that way… when in reality he felt worry fill him every time he thought about Emily trapped in the book and that man after her. Oh Emily, he thought, please be careful and alright.Chichiri, as he was just getting to get into bed, felt an evil presence momentarily, coming from Emily's room. It went away shortly, and following it, Serena's life force seem to completely disappear. He gasped, and grabbed his staff, placing his mask back on his face, running from his room, towards the younger girl's room.

As he passed Tasuki's room, he hit it with the staff, exclaiming loudly, "Evil presence, no da! Get up, Tasuki, no DA!" He then ran passed, and into the blonde's room. "Emily, no da! What happened! A minute ago I felt an evil presence in this room, and then suddenly the malevolent presence seemed to disappear, along with Serena's life force, no da!"

Tasuki jumped up in bed and fell out. " 'Eres the ire?" He said as he stood up grabbing his fan and stumbling into Emily's room.

Emily looked up at Chichiri and Tasuki as she ended her conversation with Serena. "I'm not sure what happened. A man with a voice like Nakago's but his shadow wasn't like Nakago's. I never saw his face. His voice also wasn't quite Nakago's. A green light, much like the one that brought us here suddenly appeared and sent Serena home. Then he…" Emily said no more and gestured to her now short hair.

Chichiri's eyebrows furrowed at the description that Emily had given him of the man that had intruded. "Like Nakago, but not quite? Who could that possibly be?" he inquired, mostly just to himself, before closing his eyes, and searching the rest of the palace for the same evil life-force as before, luckily finding none. He reopened his eyes, and then stated, "Whoever it was is gone now. Emily, do you have any idea why that person came for you and Serena?"

Emily hesitated before replying. " I'm not positive… but I think it has to do with me being Priestess of Genbu. He called me that. He said he wouldn't hurt me this time." Emily stood and walked over to Tasuki Chichiri standing in front of them. " I'm scared."

Chichiri nodded at her, and tightened his grip on the staff. "I see. Well, just in case he decides to come back, you should probably stay with one of us tonight, no da." with that, he looked to Tasuki.

Tasuki looked from Chichiri to Emily. " Emily, you 'an stay in aye room. No one 'ill you harm you 'ere." Emily smiled and nodded. " Thanks Tasuki." Tasuki smiled and walked into his room, Emily following. "'Ere, you can 'ave the bed." Tasuki said as he sat down in a chair watching her. Emily smiled and laid down. " Thanks Tasuki." Emily closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

"Okay, she wanted her Dad's sword... got that... her pocket knives; got those... her lipstick, got those... got a few pens and notebooks - who knows how many we might lose... two of the phones, got 'em... and I got a bunch of food from both our houses. Now let's see what I got of my stuff... my metal baton, for a weapon, a screwdriver, a pocket knife for myself... some extra clothes, for extreme weather conditions, just in case, along with pajamas... a headphone with several CDs... some notebooks and pens, for back-up... chocolate... wait, that goes under food... several books... and that should probably... oh! Sunglasses, for in case we go to Sairo... better bring a couple pairs, one for me and one for her... and that should be it!" Serena exclaimed, surrounded by a large pile of boxes and such. She looked up from her gatherings, to look at Joe. "Joe! What's been happening in the book! After you tell me, give it to me so I can go back!"

Joe's eyes widened and he looked around Serena at the boxes and bags. " Serena… You can't take all that. And you don't want to overwhelm them with our technology!" Joe sighed. " Nothing is really happening. Tasuki and Chichiri rushed to Emily's room as fast as they could and now she's sleeping in Tasuki's room." Joe watched Serena but didn't give her the book.

"Hm..." Serena glanced through all the stuff, then shrugged, and proceeded to put some of it back. "I suppose you're right, for once. I'll put back several of the pens and notebooks, most of the clothes that I'm bringing, even though who KNOWS how long I'll be there, my headphones and CDs... I suppose... and I won't really need all these books, most likely. Maybe one or two. Okay, that works. Now, can you please hand me the book?" she reached out towards Joe, standing in the middle of her stuff, after she had put all the stuff she decided not to bring back.

Joe shook his head no. " I can't let you go back Serena. Though you are prepared… I can't let you." Joe backed away watching her. " I can't let you go into that danger."

Serena frowned, and placed her hands on her hips. "Now you decide to be a caring older cousin? I've got to go back in there, Joe! I'm not letting Emily stay in there by herself! Who knows what could happen?" she stated, stepping over her stuff, and trying to grab the book from him. "Come ON, Joe! Do you just want her to stay in there, practically by herself! I mean, Tasuki and Chichiri are there, but still..."

Joe being taller than her kept the book out of her reach easily. " Chichiri and Tasuki will protect her. But until they at least learn who that man is… I won't let you go back." Joe said firmly.

Serena growled at her cousin, and crossed her arms. "I knew I shouldn't have given the stupid book back to you. Fine! Would you feel better if... huh?" she was interrupted, as suddenly, her bracelet began to glow white. "Uh... what the heck?"

Joe gasped and jumped as the bracelet suddenly broke, the beads going all over the floor. "Serena what just happened? Did Emily break hers or something?"

The red haired girl shook her head, her eyes wide, as the white light that had been surrounding the bracelet spread around her, seeming to engulf her. "I don't know! But, whatever it is, it's surrounding me! Ack, I don't want to be broken like my bracelet!" she cried, jumping over to her stuff, and burying herself in it, hoping to hide from the white light.

"SERENA!" Joe cried running forward as Serena began to dissappear. He dropped the book in his haste and tried to grab her. Suddenly he felt himself begin to dissappear as well and everything around him disappeared.

Tim looked at his disappearing brother and cousin in surprise, and ran at them. "Serena! Joe!" he exclaimed, as he tried to grab on of them, but ended up grabbing nothing but thin air, and falling onto the ground, where there was now no sign of the two, or the luggage. "Darn it! Not again!" he shouted, standing back up, and grabbing the book from it's previous position on the floor.

Nakaka walked into his brothers room, his black leather jacket and pants, clinging to his body. His golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail so that everyone could see his black earrings. He walked over to his brother and smiled. "Mission accomplished."

Nakago leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, his arms crossed, with an evil smirk on his face. "Good, good. This should show those two Priestesses that I am not so easily beaten. Especially by simple girls." he said, in his deep monotone, as he turned his head to his brother. "Nakaka. Tell me. Do you think that either of these girls could be as easily manipulated as Lady Yui was?"

Nakaka furrowed his brow in thought. " No. There bond is stronger than Yui's was to Miaka. They are almost connected by blood it seems. It will be near impossible to manipulate either one them…." Nakaka said.

Nakago closed his eyes in thought, tilting his head downward. "Hm. Then, this might be more difficult than I first thought." he said, looking back up at his brother. "This could take longer than originally planned, but it's not impossible. Can you tell me any possible weakness of either of them that could prove useful to us?"

Nakaka closed his eyes thinking, then he slowly opened them. " I scared the younger one to the bone.. But I think that was only because she couldn't see me. Maybe the younger ones fear is being unable to see her enemy. I don't know much more. The older one is afraid of being surprised in the dark….."

Nakago nodded his head, and once more closed his eyes in thought. "I see." he said, as his long blond bangs fell into his eyes. "That could be to our advantage. But we need to find out more, Nakaka."

Nakaka nodded his head. "Yes brother. I will watch them more closely. Especially the younger one, she knows more than she is aware… and the older one has more power.. Very odd they are… and foolish."

Just at that moment, a scantily clad woman with long chestnut hair, and silver eyes, entered the room, pushing a cart, bowing to the two brothers. "Excuse me, Sir Nakago, Sir Nakaka. I was requested to bring you your dinner."

Nakago looked to the woman, and stood up from his position at on the chair. " Thank you, Euiko. You're excused. Let's continue this conversation after dinner, shall we, brother?" he said, his voice, as always, in a monotone. The woman bowed, and left the room.

Emily suddenly sat up in bed barely containing a scream, her eyes wide, mouth agape. Her blue bracelet was glowing and she could hear Tim yelling after Joe and Serena then suddenly her bracelet shattered and her connection was shattered. "No!" Emily screamed as she stared the broken bracelet.

Tasuki jumped awake as soon as Emily screamed and ran over to her. " Emily what's wrong!" Emily stared at him trying to speak with no sound coming out.

Tasuki stared at her and at a lost of words, wondering what to do wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ok? What 's wrong." He said in a calm voice. Emily opened her mouth then closed it and opened it again," I could talk to Serena through that bracelet. Her bracelet broke and I could hear that something was wrong in our world just before mine broke….. She's either in trouble or…. Or she's come back to this world just not here…" Emily leaned against Tasuki shaking slightly.

Just then, a knock came on the door, and then Chichiri's voice followed it, "Anyone awake in there, no da?" before the door was slid open, and his head poked around the corner. "Oh! I didn't mean to disturb anything, no da... I'll just leave now... Sorry for the interruption, na no da!" he said, and slid the door back closed.

Tasuki jumped away from Emily so fast that she fell out of the bed. Emily glared at him as he walked over to the door and pulled it open. " Chichiri get 'ack in 'ere! Nothin' was happening." Tasuki glared at Chichiri. Emily sighed and stood up walking over to the door. "Tasuki's right, nothing was happening."

Chichiri stopped, and glanced over his shoulder, back at the two. "Oh, I see, no da. Well, I was just coming to inform you two that breakfast should be ready, in case you were hungry, no da." he said, turning his head to face back forwards, and continued on his way.

Tasuki looked at Emily and walked out of his room down the hall after Chichiri. Emily watched Tasuki and Chichiri and waited for a few minutes before following them to the breakfast room.

They arrived to the breakfast room, to see Empress Houki sitting at the head of the table, with little Boushin sitting beside her in an ancient Chinese equivalent to a highchair. Chichiri bowed politely to the Empress, and future Emperor, then sat down, followed by the other two. Houki looked between the two strangely, before voicing her question, "Chichiri? Tasuki? Emily? Where's Serena? She can't still be asleep..."

Emily bowed her head silently. " Serena was sent back to our world. I don't know how. A man appeared at the same time she disappeared.. I think there might be a connection…"

Houki gasped, and her gaze switched to the blonde. "Oh, my..." she breathed, then looked to Chichiri, who nodded, in agreement to what she said.

"I'm afraid she's right, no da. Last night, she said that a strange man that looked and sounded a bit like Nakago, but was not, came into their room, as Serena was taken away by a green light. She is now in her world, which proves the fact that Emily must be a new Priestess of Genbu. It seems that the process is starting anew, Highness. Because of this, we will need to escort her to Hokkan."

Emily bit her lip then spoke," Actually I'm not positive that she's still in our world. We had been able to talk once she went back to our world through our braclets… but when her's broke I heard her cousin screaming for her and her other cousin to stop disappearing. Then mine broke and I don't know what happened to them. They might have come back here but as someone else… another Priestess or something."

Chichiri jerked his head in Emily's direction, a startled look on his masked face. "What! Was that what that was about this morning?" he asked, before frowning, and looking back to the Empress. "Then, that must mean that she has become a Priestess of a different god. And since Suzaku and Seiryu had their's recently, it has to be... Byakko! And, if she has been transported back to our world, then where could she be...?"

Emily bit her lip worried about Serena. " She could be anywhere..but I know she's safe..her cousin is with her and he won't let any harm be-fall her..I hope.."

"Maybe we should send some search parties out for them." Houki suggested.

Emily nodded liking the idea. " I'm sorry that we're being such a burden and trouble Empress." Emily said and looked down at the floor.

Houki smiled, and shook her head, at Emily, indicating that she did not find them a burden. "Oh, it's no trouble, really, Emily. You!" she shouted towards one of the guards, who jumped slightly, and walked over to her. "Assemble a search party, and search everywhere possible for a teenage girl - she stands at 5'5", has short curly brownish reddish hair, greenish blue eyes, and is wearing strange clothes - and her cousin. And get to it as soon as possible!" And the guard bowed to her, before quickly leaving the room, to do as he was told.

"Thank-you Empress for all your help." Emily smiled then turned to look at Chichiri. "Chichiri.. Why do you think the Serena and I were brought here in the first place? I mean all the warriors of Genbu are dead, and few of Byakko are still alive. It doesn't make sense."

Chichiri looked to her, and shook his head slightly. "Well, the legends say that when the countries are threatened, that the Priestess of their god will come, no da. But, the warrior thing is something that highly confuses me... but, the thing is, maybe they've been reincarnated - and maybe, just maybe, Subaru and Tokaki were able to return to the age they were when their first Priestess came. Or maybe, new people have gotten the Genbu and Byakko warrior powers." he said, and then smiled slightly. "And if either of those are the case, then I volunteer Tasuki and I to help you and Serena - when and if we find her - find your warriors."

Tasuki choked on the bite of food he had in his mouth and stared at Chichiri. " 'Ey I 'ave to get 'ack to my bandits! I don't ;ave time to go on another quest of yours." Emily glared at Tasuki. " I am so happy to see that everyone here wants to help us so much."

Chichiri turned to the red haired bandit leader, and glared at him for a few moments, before shaking his head, with a sigh. "Fine then, Tasuki, no da. You don't have to come. But, I am still going with her, na no da." he then turned back to Emily, with a serious expression on his face. "Emily. We should leave soon, no da. You may choose when we leave, though, no da."

Tasuki sighed and frowned. " I'm going. How could I not go? Who would keep you to trouble makers out of danger? Hmmmm?" Emily rolled her eyes at Tasuki then looked at Chichiri. " Can we leave today?"

Chichiri smiled, and nodded his head, taking a bite of his breakfast. "Yes, we can, no da. In fact, I was going to mention that we should leave today, no da." he said, before putting down his chopsticks, and standing up. "If I may be excused, I am going to go prepare for our departure now, no da." he said, and at a nod from Houki, turned, and left the breakfast room.

Emily smiled lightly and stared at her foods, taking a few bites before standing up leaving it mostly untouched. Tasuki looked at her then nodded to Houki as he finished and left to go get his things. Emily watched him leave and stood bowing to Houki. " Empress thank-you again for all your help." Emily smiled and left the breakfast room.


	2. Warriors

****

Chapter Two

Pain. She felt pain in her side, in her head, and on her back. Not to mention, a weight on her back, making the pain even more noticeable. "Ouch... whatever is on me... can you please, _please_ get _off_!" Serena groaned, finding that, for the third time in two days, she was lying face down on the ground.

Joe moaned and rolled off of Serena, instead ending up landing on Emily's dad's sword. " Owwww!" Joe moaned again and stood up helping Serena up at the same time, looking around at the luggage and at the area surrounding them. " Where are we?"

Serena began to gather up all her scattered luggage, while glancing around the area they were in. "Well, from the fact that we're not being attacked, I'd say we're not in Kutou... and the weather isn't as drastic as it could be, but it's still incredibly warm, I'd say we're... somewhere between Sairo and Konan. Not that you'd know where that is, since you find all anime stupid." she said.

Joe picked up the other luggage staring at Serena. "I'm guessing that we're not near where Emily is then?"

Serena looked to her cousin, with a blank look on her face. "No, we are not anywhere near where Emily is. If we are lucky enough, though, we could get there in, oh say... at least a month." she said, with a sigh, as she got up all of her stuff, and glanced around, noticing that they were in a town of some sort. "We better ask around, to find out which country we're in."

Joe nodded his agreement and was about to go ask a shop man where they were when he saw a pretty girl walk down the street, and it looked as if she was walking toward them. He was momentarily lost from the sane world.

"So, I'll go this way, and you go... Joe?" she had turned around, just to find her cousin staring at a beautiful girl with silvery blue hair held in a high ponytail. With a frown, and a growl, Serena whopped her cousin hard over the head.

"What're you doin'? Pay attention!... Fine, if you're gonna ignore me, I'm just going to take you with me!" she said, grabbing the sleeve of his t-shirt, and dragging him off with her, towards a store.

Joe grimaced when she hit him over the head and glared at her following her toward the store. " You are so mean! Why couldn't you just let me make a fool of myself and maybe have some fun?"

Because, we need to get to Emily as soon as possible, and with two people, it's easier than with one! Now you go to that store, and I'll go to this one. No side-trips to that girl with Chichiri's hair color!" she snapped at him, letting go of his shirt sleeve, and storming into the store in front of her.

Joe grumbled and walked into the store across the street. When he walked inside he walked over to a man who appeared to the owner. "Excuse me sir, can you tell me where I might be?" The man turned around and looked at Joe, wondering where he got the weird clothes. "You are in the small city of Sharpero on the border of Sairo." Joe smiled and nodded. "Thank-you sir."

As he was walking out, the girl with the long silvery blue hair in the ponytail, and the thick bangs covering her forehead, was heading into the store, and stopped him in the doorway. "Hello, sir. I saw you and your friend outside, and was just wondering, where did you get those most interesting clothes of your's?" she asked, with a smile.

Joe blushed ferociously as he tried to think of an answer. " We got them from our world. I think these are from GAP…" Joe smiled foolishly.

The girl's eyes widened slightly, and she tilted her head curiously to the side. "You're from another world? How is that possible, though, only the Priestesses of Byakko, Genbu, Suzaku, and Seiryu are from other worlds, and from your obvious masculinity, I'd say you are not one of them." she said, with a twinge of sarcasm at the end of her sentence.

Joe blushed. " Well when my cousin, Serena, that girl," he pointed over the girls shoulder at Serena who had just exited the shop. "When she began to dissappear from our world to this world I jumped after her and got transported to."

The girl straightened her neck, and nodded her head at him. "Oh, I see, so then, she must be a new Priestess! Do you know of which beast god she is the new Priestess?" the girl asked, seeming to believe it perfectly, as if she knew for a fact that it was the truth. "Oh, before we continue this conversation, I've probably got to tell you my name, huh? My name is Gina."

" Hello Gina. My name is Joe. I don't know which god my cousin is Priestess of, but she might." Joe replied.

The girl smiled slightly once more, turning to Serena, who, with a scowl and crossed arms, had walked up behind her. "Hello, Serena-sama. I am Gina, it is nice to meet you. Your handsome cousin, Joe, here, has told me that you're a Priestess of one of the beast gods, but he does not know which one. Do you?" she asked, politely.

Serena nodded, narrowing an eye at the girl. "Well, I didn't really think about myself actually being a Priestess, but it makes sense. Well, we were engulfed by a white light, so I'm assuming that I'm the Priestess of Byakko." she stated, to which the girl's eyes widened, and she suddenly fell into a bow, highly startling the nineteen year old. "Uh... what are you doing!"

Joe blushed when Gina called him handsome then looked at Serena. " We're in Sharpero, a small city on the border of Sairo. If that helps explain her any.." Joe watched Gina smiling.

Serena nodded slowly, seeming to understand the fact that the reason Gina was bowing to her was because she was in Byakko's country. "Oh... okay. Gina, you can stand up..." she hesitated, wondering how to communicate to people who were now looking up to her.

Gina, with a polite smile, stood up, and clutch her hands in front of her. "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Priestess. And you, her handsome cousin, Joe." she laughed, looking to Serena's slightly older cousin. "Where are you two headed from here in Sharpero? I can take you there, if you would like. I know all of Sairo like the back of my hand." she offered.

Joe smiled and watched Gina and Serena talking, blushing uncontrollably, but staying quiet since he didn't know exactly where they wanted to go.

Serena shook her head, while waving her hands in front of her. "Oh, no, we couldn't ask you to do that. Plus, we're going to Konan, to join up with my best friend, who has become the Priestess of Genbu." she said.

Gina shook her head, crossing her arms, somewhat stubbornly. "I am not taking no for an answer, Lady Priestess. Even if I just escort you to the very edge of Sairo, I'm going to help you two. For one thing, my life has been moderately boring lately, and I need a bit more excitement - what would be more exciting than escorting the Priestess of Byakko and her cousin?" she laughed, and then proceeded to grab both Joe's and Serena's arms, and haul them off towards the south. "I presume you have food and necessities."

Joe smiled like a fool when she grabbed his arm and walked beside her after grabbing all the luggage/supplies that they had with them.

They walked for a while, in comfortable silence, until Gina sighed irritably, and placed her hands on her hips, stopping abruptly. She looked up, a frown marring her beautiful features.

Joe looked at her, wondering why she was frowning. "Is everything ok Gina?"

She glanced to him momentarily, then to Serena, who looked just as confused as her cousin. "I'm not sure. I hear something. Can't you hear it?" she said, and Serena strained to hear what was so obviously there, but heard absolutely nothing.

"No... I can't." she said, raising an eyebrow at the silvery-blue haired girl, who sighed, and shook her head.

Joe also tried to hear but heard nothing. " What is it that you hear Gina?"

Gina's frown grew deeper, and she slid into a defensive position, startling the two, for neither of them thought that she looked to be one who would know how to defend herself. "It's... some sort of animal. A large animal..." she trailed off, listening harder for whatever she heard.

"... Oh, no, it sounds like it's-" before she could get it out, a large tiger burst out of some trees to their left, and landed in front of them, snarling hungrily.

Joe drew Emily's dad's sword preparing to protect the girls from the tiger. " Stay behind me you two, and no harm will come to you." Joe winked ad Gina letting his guard down form the tiger. " I've always wanted to say that.."

The tiger took his momentary lapse in defense as the perfect opportunity to pounce them. As it lowered, ready to pounce on it's prey, Gina noticed, and shouted, just before it could strike, "WATCH OUT! DUCK!" The other two spun around, to see the tiger pounce at them, and did as told.

But, all of a sudden, a bright white light came from Gina, and she raised her hands quickly towards the feline, a large sphere of water shooting from her open palms, engulfing it. It stayed suspended in midair by the clear liquid, unable to breath, until Gina threw her hands to the side, which caused the sphere to fly off somewhere in the distance.

Serena glanced back at the girl, and gasped, as she saw the sign for 'Investigator' (which she could strangely read) glowing in bright white on Gina's forehead.

Joe looked from Gina to Serena and back again, his eyes wide and his face bright red with embarrassment. " How... did you just do that?" Joe asked, staring at Gina before staring at the disappearing tiger amazement on his face.

Gina turned slowly back to the two, a slight look of embarrassment on her own face, as the white 'Investigator' symbol vanished from her forehead. "Uh... that was... er... oh, forget that, you've probably figured out, but I'm the Byakko warrior known as Karasuki. That's why I insisted to come with you." she said.

Joe's eyes widened further as he stared at her. He sheathed the sword in his hand and picked up the rest of the supplies starting to walk on again. "Well let's get going again then eh?"

Serena stared at Karasuki, who had her head bowed, as they continued on their way towards the very, very edge of Sairo. Why didn't she tell them before that she was a Byakko seishi? She wondered, and she didn't noticed she had been staring at the other girl for quite a while until she looked up, noticing the hard glare she had been getting.

Karasuki sighed, and looked back down at the ground, in apology. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I just didn't... uh, really think about it..." she said.

Joe looked at Karasuki silently. " It's ok Karasuki. We forgive you, and understand why you were hesitant. Right Serena?"

Serena nodded her head slightly, and then scratched the side of her head in confusion. "Yeah, I understand. But, what I don't understand is how you're still alive and you look to be the same age as me. Shouldn't you be... like... in your hundreds?" she asked, then shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows. "But that doesn't make sense either, 'cause I thought Tokaki and Subaru were the last two Byakko warriors alive..."

"Uh... well, I can't really explain it. But, suddenly, I woke up in Sharpero, alive and the age I was when Suzuno came. Which kind of made me think that a new Byakko priestess might be here, which is why I approached Joe, 'cause I saw you and him, wearing strange clothing, together..." Karasuki said, smiling at Joe.

Joe smiled at Karasuki. " Well that would mean that the other Byakko warriors had awakened and in the form as they were when Suzuno came. So we should try to find them." Joe said and, at a look from Serena added, " Well going to find Emily of course."

Serena nodded, and crossed her arms. "Yes, we shall go search for the other Byakko warriors after we have found Emily! I sure hope Chichiri and Tasuki are still with her... if they're not, I'm going to hurt them." she growled slightly, with a frown.

Joe smiled and nodded his head in agreement and continued to walk down the road.

Chichiri, all ready to head out, headed to Tasuki's room, and nodded on the door. "Are you two ready, no da? We should head out soon, no da." he called, and then waited for them to answer.

Tasuki looked toward the door. " I'm 'eady. 'At just leaves miss sun head." Tasuki smirked slightly as he shouldered his pack and looked at Emily who was dressed no longer in clothes from her world but clothes the Empress Houki had had the guards go and buy earlier.

Emily twirled and looked at Tasuki as she shouldered a pack with some extra clothes and her own clothes in it. " How do I look? Good enough to pass as a civilian?" Emily asked Tasuki. Tasuki shrugged. " You 'ook like any other girl." Emily sighed and walked out of the room Tasuki behind her. " C'mon let's get going. Where do you think we should look first?"

Once the two left the room, Chichiri began walking in the direction of the gate of the palace, with the other two following him. "Well... if Serena is indeed the new Priestess of Byakko, then she might be in Sairo, no da. But, that might not be true, because you're the Priestess of Genbu, and instead of Hokkan, you got sent to Konan, no da... So, it's really up to you where we search first, Emily, no da." he said, with a shrug.

Emily furrowed her brow in thought. " Let's search Konan first. Then Hokkan…. Does that sound wise Chichiri?" Emily asked as they continued to walk. Tasuki walked beside them listening silently.

Chichiri nodded, glancing back towards her slightly. "Yes, that sounds good, no da." he said, turning forwards once more, and continued to walk to the gate.

"Here we are, Serena, Joe. The border of Sairo, and Konan. If we continue on this way, we might get to the palace in... ten days." Karasuki said, turning to the Priestess of Byakko and her cousin, who were staring at her with wide eyes. She shrugged, and then motioned towards the town that they were coming up to. "We can always buy some horses in that town, if you want to get there sooner."

Joe groaned at the thought of ten more days walking. " I vote for horses!" He exclaimed as they continued to walk. " I don't think I can walk any farther." A chibi Joe sweating starts to stagger between Serena and Karasuki.

Serena nodded her head, rubbing the sides of her legs. "Yes, horses sound very good right now... ow... but, do we have the money to buy them?" she asked, looking at Karasuki, who just shrugged, and pulled out a heavy sack. "Uh... well, it looks like you do have enough..."

Karasuki smiled, and nodded her head, holding the bag with two arms. "Yeah. I had this when I died, and evidently, it stayed with me. I don't remember how I got it now, though..." she said, with a shrug.

Joe popped back to normal and his eyes went wide at the site of all the money. " Money…" shakes head and smiles. " Maybe we should use some to get Serena and myself some clothes more like… this era.."

Serena glanced down at her 3/4 inch sleeved black and white shirt and red velvety pants, and nodded her head. "Yeah, we probably should... so we don't, y'know, stick out too much so people suspect us of something..." she said, looking to Karasuki, who grinned, the grabbed the two by the backs of their shirts and pulled them towards the town.

"Yes, I agree, and I know the perfect shop - that is, if it's still there... after all, it has been a hundred years or so since I last saw it..." she pondered to herself as she continued to drag two chibi cousins who were grasping at the collars of their shirts, gasping for air.

Joe tugged at his shirt as Karasuki dragged him and Serena toward the town. " Karasuki… breathing… very difficult…." Joe gasped and struggled to breath.

Karasuki immediately let go of their shirts, and laughed, somewhat embarrassedly. "Oh, oops, sorry about that. I got caught up while thinking of that store. You see, I worked there once when I lived in Konan for a short period of time, and got attached to the people that lived around there and came to the store." she said with a smile, before continuing on towards the town again.

Joe gasped getting his breath back. " It's ok Karasuki, hope that stores still around. Though knowing my luck of bringing bad luck it probably isn't." Joe sighed then smiled, " But since it has been a hundred years my luck of bad luck might have nothing to with it!" Joe grinned.

Serena laughed, after getting her own air back, and followed after Karasuki. "Yeah, hope it's still there." she said, and after walking for a few minutes, sighed and frowned. "I wonder how Emily, Chichiri and Tasuki are doing, and I wonder if they're even still at the palace any more..." she pondered, crossing her arms.

Joe frowned slightly continuing to walk. " I'm sure that even if they aren't at the palace Tasuki and Chichiri are protecting her. And if they aren't they'll be dead when we meet them." Joe smiled softly knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Karasuki glanced back at the two, then looked forward again, placing her hands on her hips, with a sigh. "I wish I could get us to the palace sooner..." she sighed.

The mood seeming to be switching from cheerful to depressing, Serena decided to try to lighten the mood. "Ah, I'm sure they're all fine. I mean, unless of course Emily and Tasuki have killed each other." she said, snickering at the thought.

Joe smirked. " Wish I could of seen it if they did, the glorious end of dear Emily." Joe sighed and smiled, " Maybe they are looking for her Seishi as we look for yours." Joe looked at Karasuki. "What do you think?"

Karasuki looked to him, and nodded her head. "Yes, most likely. I mean, if she is the Priestess of Genbu, like you sa-" before she could completely finished her sentence, Serena stopped in her tracks, eyes wide, and exclaimed loudly, interrupting the blue haired female Byakko seishi.

"BAKA!" she shouted, and began hitting her head repeatedly with her fists. "Baka, baka, baka! I'm so stupid sometimes!" she exclaimed angrily, then began to widely flail about, shouting loudly, and being as noticeable as she could possibly accomplish.

Karasuki stared at her, wide eyed, before looking fearfully to Joe. "Is... she... alright?" she asked, nervously.

Joe stared at his cousin the at Karasuki. " I know not if she is well but I suggest we calm her down before she draws to much attention… and before she hurts herself." Joe slowly walked toward Serena. " Serena? Are you suddenly high or something?"

Serena stopped for a moment, and stared blankly at her cousin. "No. I am going through with an extremely intelligent strategy, thank-you-very-much, and if you DON'T mind, I am going to continue with it. I AM HERE, WE ARE HERE, COME AND GET US!" she shouted loudly, and began once more to continue with her loudness and energeticness.

Joe scowled at his cousin and covered her mouth dragging her away from the town. " What do you think you're doing! All this'll get you is a dagger in the back!" Joe twitched trying to keep her from moving. " Now CALM DOWN!"

Serena growled behind Joe's hand, and began to claw at it, shouting loud, muffled exclamations, and continued to flail, kicking her legs out in every which direction. "MPMPHMPMHPMHMPTRMMMMMHRRRMM!" was all that she seemed to be able to get out.

Joe winced and wimpered pulling his hand away and stepping back. " You're mad woman! You'll be the deaths of us all if you don't stop… What are you trying to do anyways!"

Serena glowered at him, and then explained, calmly, "I just remembered that when Em and I first came here, Chichiri noticed our chi because we were so panicky, and transported to where we were. So, I figured, if I panic enough, since he can sense different than normal energies of this world, he would sense me and come here so we won't have to continue looking for them. All right?"

Joe strared at her a blank look on her face. " Huh? So if we act like maniacs they'll find us… Right. I'm not going to act like a fool." Joe huffed and glared at her.

Serena rolled her eyes, and shrugged, turning away from him. "Whatever you want to do. I find it kind of fun, actually. AAIIIEEEEEEEAAAAAA!" she shrieked, and began her fake-panicking once more, 'accidentally' hitting Joe in the nose with the back of her hand as she passed him.

Joe grabbed his nose when she 'accidentally' hit him and growls running after her. " Get back here Serena! You did that on purpose!" Joe continued to scream and run after her.

Serena grinned, and began running away from him, laughing evilly. "Buahaha! Oh, how could you accuse me of such a thing? You're so mean to your cousin!" she said, looking over her shoulder at him and sticking her tongue out at him.

Chichiri suddenly stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening slightly. "What is..." he whispered to himself, looking around himself with furrowed eyebrows.

Emily stared at Chichiri and eyebrow raised. " What's Wrong Chichiri?" Tasuki watched his blue haired friend trying to read his face for answers.

Chichiri looked back to Emily, a surprised expression on his face (although, neither of the others could really tell, since he was, as usual, wearing his mask). "Well... I'm not sure, but I think I just sensed Serena, and someone with her, no da..." he said, and then grabbed his hat off his head. "Maybe I should go check and see if it really was Serena and her cousin, no da?" he suggested.

Emily smiled and nodded her head enthusiastically. " Please do Chichiri, and if it is them bring them back with you, so that we no longer need to search for them or them for us." Emily smiled at Tasuki who simply rolled his eyes and turned away from her.

Chichiri nodded his head, smiling at her, saying, "I will be back soon, na no da!" and then disappearing into his hat. Soon, he fell out of his hat, to fall onto something that seemed to soft to be the ground. Before he could get up and see what he landed on, suddenly he heard two shrieks, and he jumped, looking around in the direction of the screams,to see a girl with the same color hair as him and a boy that looked to be around the same age as Serena staring at him with wide eyes. "Um, hello, no da. Have you seen a girl with strange clothes and reddish-brown curly hair around here, no da?"

Joe stared at blue haired man who had just squashed his cousin. " You must be Chichiri. I'm Joe Serena's cousin. This is Karasuki," he said motioning the blue haired girl," She is one of the Byakko warriors. As far as Serena you just fell on top of her." Joe smiled.

Chichiri blinked at Joe for a minute, before he gasped slightly, and quickly got up, looking down at the relieved, and slightly miffed, girl that he always seemed to land on. "Oh, Serena, I'm sorry, no da! I didn't mean to land on you, again!" he said, and proceeded to help the winded Serena up off the dusty ground.

Serena looked at him, and smiled, letting him pull her to her feet. "Eh, that's all right, Chichiri. As long as you're here - we won't have to walk anymore! Whoohoo!" she exclaimed, then jumped the rest of the way to her feet, and flung her arms around Chichiri's neck, startling him.

Joe stared at his cousin and Chichiri before wlaking over and pulling Serena off of Chichiri's neck. He glared at Serena then Chichiri, " Chichiri you don't touch my cousin. No intimacy. Serena no falling head over heels for the masked blue freak."

Chichiri and Serena gaped at Joe, then looked at each other, and they found themselves blushing - Chichiri, at this point, was very grateful for his mask. Then Chichiri frowned, looking back to Joe. "I'm afraid you misunderstand, no da." he said, firmly, and as he did so, Serena looked at her cousin with a scowl, and nodded her head.

"Yeah, Joe, I was just hugging him because I was relieved we don't have to walk anymore. And, plus, you've already fallen for Karasuki, if I wanted to fall for Chichiri, it would be fair. Not saying that I'm going to, of course." she stated, glaring at her slightly older and taller cousin.

Joe blushed at the mention of him falling for Karasuki. " I have not fallen for anybody. Anyway let's just go fine Tasuki and Emily shall we?" He said poking Serena in the forehead and gathering all the luggage.

Karasuki just stared, wide-eyed, at Chichiri, looking slightly like a fish. "Ah... oh... eh... wha... where... what on earth just happened? A masked guy with the same color hair as me, appearing out of nowhere, from a hat..." she rambled, looking from Chichiri, to Serena, to Joe, then back to Chichiri.

Joe laughed softly at Karasuki and smiled. " I'm not sure myself, you should ask Serena for all the details." Joe smiled shouldering a pack.

Serena looked to Karasuki, then to Chichiri, and laughed slightly. "Oh, Karasuki, this is Chichiri, one of the only surviving members of the Suzaku seven. He can use his hat, and cloak, to transport himself and other people places. And he can do a bunch of other cool stuff, but, uh, I don't know if I could explain them all." she stated, also sliding two bags' straps over her shoulders.

Chichiri smiled politely, and bowed to Karasuki, in greeting. "Nice to meet you, Karasuki-san, no da." he said, as he pulled of his cloak, and laid it flat on the ground. He stood back up, tapped the cloth with his staff, and said, "Okay, everyone, get onto this, and it will transport us to Emily and Tasuki, no da."

Joe stepped on the cloak after making sure everything they had brought was on it. Joe smiled at Karasuki then at Serena. " You to ready or what? I for one want to see Emily and Tasuki rip each other to shreds, since they will now that no one is there to stop them."

Serena rolled her eyes at her cousin, and walked onto the cloak at the same time as Karasuki. Just as they all began to sink into, she looked to Chichiri, and glared at him, then turned her glare momentarily to Joe. "Neither of you better land on me this time!" she warned, and Chichiri nodded at her in response.

Joe rolled his eyes and smiled, " Well now I simply must land on you Serena." Joe laughed then gasped as he really did land on Serena. " Atleast you're softer than ground."

Emily jumped off her horse and ran over to Joe, Serena, Chichiri, and Karasuki. " Get off of Serena ,Joe you evil cousin!" Joe growled rolling off of his cousin annoyed at Emily. " Serena are you okay? What happened? Where did you go to first?" Emily asked helping Serena to her feet.

Tasuki jumped off his horse as well helping Karasuki to her feet and Chichiri. " And who might the femal blue-haired freak be?"

Karasuki, as soon as she was to her feet, frowned, and growled, "This 'female blue-haired freak' is Karasuki, of the Byakko seven." then she brought a hand back, and then forward again, shooting a brief spray of water at the red-head. "And who might the flame haired baka be?"

Serena, ignoring Karasuki, Tasuki, Joe, and Chichiri, dusted her pants off, and smiled. "I'm okay. Nothing much happened, except we found Karasuki, one of my revived seishi! And we went to Sairo first. What happened while I was gone?" she asked, glancing to Tasuki, Karasuki, and Chichiri.

Tasuki screeched and tried to get the water off. " You evil blue haired twit! Water is the all high of evil! And the 'flame haired baka' is Tasuki of the Suzako seven to you." Tasuki huffed glaring at her.

Emily rolled her eyes at Tasuki and Karasuki. " While you were gone Empress Houki was very helpful and understanding." Emily moved closer and whispered so only Serena could here her. " And shortly after you disappeared and the strange man disappeared, Tasuki said I could sleep in his room." Emily grinned and stood back looking at the stuff. " You certainly didn't overlook anything."

Karasuki raised an eyebrow at the flame-haired Suzaku seishi, and then smiled, bowing slightly to him. "I suppose it's a pleasure to meet you. Even though you insult water." she said, standing back up straight, with a shrug.

Serena grinned back at Emily, and grabbed some of her bags. "Yeah, well, ya' kinda do have to bring a lot of your stuff when you aren't going to be going home for a while, you know. Oh and..." she then leaned closer slightly to her best friend, so she could whisper so only she could hear, "Congrats on the Tasuki thing! Who knows, maybe he'll fall for you." she pulled back, with a laugh.

Emily blushed slightly and smiled picking up bags. " Well we should get going, we have to make camp before night fall." Emily smiled looking at everyone. Joe smirked when he saw Emily and Serena leaning closer to each other to wisper. "Aw if it isn't two little love birds awww." Emily twitched and before Joe could say anything else she had broken his nose with a swift punch.

Tasuki glared at Karasuki then laughed at Emily and Joe. The he turned to Karasuki, " Well your _highness_ I didn't mean to insult the almighty water. I like fire, I can use fire. Not the evil stupid water."

Karasuki frowned slightly, and placed her hands on her hips. "Fire is the evil one, it burns down houses, and kills people much more often than water does." she said haughtily, turning away from him and walking over to a horse.

Serena rolled her eyes at Joe, who by now was crying about his nose. "I hate to say it, but you sort of deserved it, _my dear cousin_." she said, before handing some of the stuff in the pile to Emily. "Here. Out of all of this, this bag and the sword are your's. Oh, and later I've got to tell you another reason to throttle Joe." she said, glaring at Joe.

Emily nodded taking the sword and bag. " I need to sharpen this sword, way to dull for this world. I can't wait to hear a reason to hurt Joe." Emily smiled smirking at Joe. Tasuki glared at Karasuki and shoved her out of the way when he realized she was moving toward his horse. " Get your own water lover!"

Joe cried holding his bleeding nose. " I 'I'd't oo 'othing!" He said through a bloody hand. Emily glared at him and he glared back standing. " 'ey Ichiri? 'An 'ou 'elp 'e?" Joe asked Chichiri.

Chichiri looked at Joe, and blinked, before shaking his head slightly. "Well, I'm not a healer like Mitsukake was," he frowned briefly, then continued, "but I'll see what I can do, na no da." he said, examining Joe's nose. "Hm... I'm not sure I can do much, no da..."

Serena nodded, and almost laughed at the expression Joe was now giving Chichiri. "Yeah, it's definitely a reason to hurt him... I mean, it wasn't even anything that meant anything, and he still made a big deal out of it..." she growled.

Joe stared at Chichiri and started to complain. " What do you mean you can't do anything! You're supposed to be a monk person with magic aren't you?" Emily rolled her eyes. " Not that type magic you baka." Joe growled at Emily who replied by sticking out her tongue. Just as Joe was about to tackle her a arrow pierced the air hitting the ground inches from Emily.

Emily jumped drawing the sword looking at the person who had shot the arrow. It was a boy with brown hair and brown eyes who looked to be roughly 16 years of age. He had his bow pointed at Emily and was swearing because he missed. " Hello strangers from another world."

Chichiri moved in front of the two priestesses, frowning up at the archer, finding him strangely familiar. "Who are you? Why are you shooting at the Priestess of Genbu?" he asked, his speech pattern having dropped the cheerful 'no da's.

Tasuki glared at the archer as he stood beside Chichiri drawing his fan. " 'Ay back, I'm warning you ice freak." The archer laughed and jumped down landing in front of Chichiri and Tasuki. " I see master fire hasn't changed. Just be glad I don't test these two brats of priestess' like I did the one of Suzako. I was aiming for the boy who was trying to hurt the priestess, not the priestess baka." The archer lowered his bow glaring at Joe.

Chichiri finally recognized the Genbu warrior, and his eye widened. As he did so, Serena inched to where Emily was, and whispered, "Isn't that Tomite? Your warrior?"

Emily nodded her head as she stare at Tomite sheathing her sword. " How long have you been following us? Where you only going to watch us forever?" Emily said stepping in front of Tomite. Tomite laughed." I've been following you for awhile. I was going to capture you tonight, scare ya'll a little but when he," Tomite jerked his head toward Joe who was still seething," to close to you and was angry I had to step in. You are after all my priestess." Tomite smiled and bowed before smiling.

Emily looked at Tomite uncomfortably when he bowed. Then she looked at Joe who was shakling where he stood. " Why you….." He uttered and leaped toward Tomite.

Serena cried out as Joe lunged at Tomite, and ran over, to pry her angry cousin off the Genbu warrior. "Joe, stop it! You'll only hurt yourself worse! It's not a good idea to fight someone when your nose is broken!" she shouted, and soon Chichiri came over to help her pull her cousin away from Tomite, who looked angry.

Tomite growled shaking with rage. "This is a new tunic! And you ruined it with your blood you rag doll!" Tomite growled and lunged at Joe, Tasuki and Emily quickly moving to hold him back. Joe and Tomite struggled against the people who held them back. Emily jerked Tomite back glaring at him. " Stop it before we resort to fire. Joe," she turned and looked at him," You calm down before I break something else."

Karasuki, stared at the scene, with slightly wide eyes. After a few more minutes of watching them, she walked over, in an irritated manner, and stopped in between Tomite and Joe, a ball of water in each hand. "Bad children, just for this, I'm gonna have to punish you." she joked, and dropped each sphere of water on the two's heads. "If you're not going to listen to them, I'm gonna continue soaking you."

Tomite and Joe glared at Karasuki but they slowly stopped calming down. Tomite growled, " Fine but if he gets any more blood on me more of his blood will be shed." Joe growled and stalked off down the road. Tasuki slowly let of Tomite and glanced at Emily before walking over to his horse. Emily watched Tomite and Joe, wondering if she should go after Joe.

Serena noticed that Emily seemed to be wondering if she should follow Joe, and smiled slightly walking over to one of the horses. "I'm sure Joe'll be alright. I mean, we're headed that way, right? We should run into him; not to mention, he doesn't know anyone else here, he'll have to come back to us. Sooo... now that we've got this cleared up, what're we gonna do about riding conditions?There are only three horses, and there are seven of us. Well, six, not counting Joe, since he decided to walk." she said, looking to the others.

Emily nodded her head knowing Serena was right about Joe. "Tasuki and I will ride on one horse, Serena and Chichiri on another horse, and Karasuki and Tomite on the third. Does that work for everyone?" Emily looked around at the others.Tomite shrugged, " Just no water balls." Emily smiled and looked at Tasuki who was scowling slightly. " Are you unhappy with the riding arrangements: Tasuki shook his head. " I don't like girls." Emily sighed. " To bad for you Tasuki."

Serena laughed under her breath, shaking her head at Tasuki's usual 'I don't like girls' sentence. She then walked over to the horse she was pretty sure was Chichiri's, and proceeded to struggle up onto it. Just as she was beginning to slip, she felt someone grab her, and then help push her up onto the horse. She glanced back at the person to see who had helped her, having a pretty good idea. "Thank you, Chichiri."

Chichiri smiled at her, and then pulled himself up behind her. "You're welcome, no da." he said, cheerfully. Serena felt herself blush slightly, as Chichiri's arms went around her to grab the reins. She mentally berated herself for blushing, and glanced back at Emily and Tasuki.

Emily had finally pulled herself onto the horse and Tasuki swung up behind her grabbing the reins. Emily smiled enjoying this closeness to Tasuki before shaking her head somewhat disgusted. She glanced at Serena and smiling. " Tally Hoe then." Emily said laughing slightly and stopping as Tasuki, Chichiri, Karasuki, and Tomite stared at her, eyebrows raised. " Oh that's right, you've never heard of that. Never mind then."

As they then proceeded to set off, Serena laughed slightly. "These poor horses. Having to carry my stuff. Must be breaking their backs even more than us." she chuckled, and heard Chichiri laugh slightly behind her. She smiled, then reached into a moderately small black bag, pulling out a circular CD player and headphones. "Buahaha. I did bring it. Hooray!" she cheered.

Chichiri looked down at her strangely, wondering what she was doing. "Serena, no da? What is that thing you're putting on your head, no da?" he inquired, and she replied, "Oh, this? It's a thing that plays music that only I can hear, if I put these things on my ears." she pointed to the headphones.

Emily looked at Serena shaking her head. " Serena, maybe you shouldn't use that right now. Seeing as how Tasuki, Chichiri, and Tomite, the ones steering the horse are watching you and it instead of the road." Emily suggested as she jerked the reins on her and Tasuki's horse so he was going straight again.

Serena thought about that for a moment, before shrugging, taking the headphones off, and putting them back again. "I suppose that makes sense. I'll just listen to it when I'm we've stopped... the only problem about that is, boredom. Because if I use any of our world things, it'll distract them, and so that eliminates _that_ option." she stated, simply, with another shrug.

Emily looked at her. " You could always read a book. That isn't an our world thing." Emily looked through her back and found her favourite book 'Shadowmancer'. Tasuki looked over her shoulder, reading every so often. Tomite smiled and started to poke Karasuki.

Serena made a 'hm' noise, and then pulled a book that she was reading for the fourth time, Sword and Shadow by Ann Marston, the third in her favorite trilogy, from her bag. "Well, actually, it sort of is, Em, since they only have scrolls so far." she said, but then soon lost herself in reading the thick book.

Karasuki frowned, twisting around, to look the driver of their horse in the face. "What is it?" she asked.

Tomite shrugged. " Nothing, just want to poke an annoy you." Tomite smiled and continued to poke her.

Emily didn't even hear what Serena said because she was so deep into her own book. Tasuki continued to read over her shoulder then stopped as he realized they had reached Joe. " You 'ant to continue 'alking or climb on 'ehind me.?" Joe looked at Tasuki and took the offered hand swinging up behind him.

Karasuki sighed deeply, and shook her head, trying to keep herself from giving the Genbu seishi a nice, long, cold shower. "Well, congratulations, you're doing a wonderful job of it." she stated, sarcastically.

Tomite smiled and laughed and stopped poking her. " Aw come one lovely, lighten up. After all we'll be riding together for awhile so we should used to each other." He smiled and playfully blew in her ear.

Karasuki's eyes widened, and then narrowed dangerously. She breathed in deeply to calm herself, then let it back out, before deciding on a plan. She mock-giggled, and she ran her fingers lightly down Tomite's arm. "Of course, that makes sense. But, one thing, _handsome_?" she said, saying 'handsome' in a cynical tone, hoping that he wouldn't catch it.

Tomite smiled not noting it, enjoying her fingers on his arm. " What would that be sweet?"

Karasuki then formed a large water-sphere in her other hand, grinning. "Do not call me pet names, and _do not _blow in my ear." she stated, and tossed the large water ball over her shoulder, into Tomite's face.

Tomite gasped as the water hit him and growled. He held to reins with one hand and in his other hand made a ball of frozen ice that he threw at her. " To can play this game…"

Karasuki growled back, as the ice hit her, but before she could respond, Chichiri shouted from up in front, "Don't make me come back there, you two, no da!" and following after that, they heard Serena laughing something about things called 'cars', parents scolding their kids, and vacations.

Tomite sighed and stopped tormenting Karasuki. Emily burst out laughing at there feud and at Chichiri's comment. Joe grinned widely when Karasuki hit Tomite with the water. Tasuki just looked at everyone like they were nuts.

After that, everyone rode in silence, until it began to get dark, and Chichiri suggested that they stop for the night. So, they stopped, and set up the temporary camp. But, they soon ran into a problem, and Serena sweatdropped as she pointed out the problem. "Uh... there are only three tents." she stated.

Emily bit her lip thinking." Well we could either share tents with out riding parteners… or have two guys in one tent, two guys in another, and then the girls share a tent. Or two girls in the last ten and on girl sleep outside. What do you guys think?" Tomite smiled and wrapped an arm around Karasuki playfully." Well I vote for the riding parteners share tents, because I would love sometime with Karasuki." Tasuki and Joe both shrugged. " I don't care really" Joe said in a plugged nose voice. Tasuki agreed with him but in a normal voice.

Serena looked at Chichiri, who looked back at her, and they both shrugged, saying that they didn't really care about the sleeping conditions. Karasuki, however, seemed quite appalled at the thought of sleeping in the same tent as Tomite. "What! Riding partners? No way am I sleeping in a tent with _this_ hentai!"

Tomite shook with outrage at the last remark. " And the is no way I'll sleep with this….this busu!" Emily, Tasuki and Joe either gasped or winced when he said that. " Fine then Tomite. Everyone else is fine with riding parteners, you just sleep outside." Tomite glared at her trying to decide what to say. Then just as he was about to hit her with ice Joe stepped in, " I'll share a tent with Karasuki if she has no objection and you can share the tent with Emily and Tasuki. Work everyone?"

Karasuki glared deadly daggers at Tomite, before looking to Joe, grabbing his arm, and dragging him into one of the tents that they had set up before they had realized there were only three. Serena laughed at that, and turned to the others, with a smile. "That's fine with me. Evidently, it's okay with Karasuki, too." she said, turning to one of the tents, and walking into it, followed by Chichiri, who had just shrugged at the arrangement.

Emily smiled trying not to laugh at Karasuki and the look on Joe's face as she dragged him in. Emily ducked into the last tent, Tasuki following her. Tomite stood outside for a little while glaring at the tent that Joe and Karasuki disappeared into. After a little while he crawled into the tent after Tasuki and Emily. " Well nightly night." he smiled and laid down smirking at Emily as he wrapped his arms around her. Emily twitched resisting the urge to beat him to a pulp. " Just because I let you sleep her, doesn't mean you can touch me."

In the tent that Serena and Chichiri were sharing, meanwhile, Chichiri was settling down into his blanket, when he noticed that Serena wasn't attempting to go to sleep yet, but was instead sitting up, with the strange thing from before over her ears. He stared at her a moment, before asking, "Serena? Aren't you going to sleep, no da? We are going to be traveling a lot tomorrow, na no da..." he stated.

Serena glanced back at him, with a slight smile. "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to listen to a couple songs before I go to bed, because I'm not all that tired." she said, to which Chichiri nodded, resting his head back down on his pillow. "Right, no da. Well, goodnight, Serena, no da." he said, and then proceeded to drift off to sleep.

It was about ten minutes later that a now much more sleepy Serena got up from her sitting position, crawled over to where she thought her bed was, and plopped down, her head resting on what she thought - but wasn't really - her pillow.

Tomite glared but didn't move his arms. " Strike me with fire but I won't move." He stated then let go of her yelping slightly as Tasuki brandished his fan. " It can be arranged for you to be striked with fire." Emily sighed and glared at them sitting up between them." Now boys, try not to kill each other and me in the process. It will be a long day tomorrow so please sleep." Emily grunted as she lay back down pulling her blanket over her head. Tomite and Tasuki glared at each other for several minutes before laying down and falling asleep.

Serena slowly began to awaken, realizing she was slightly cold. She shivered slightly, and, at noticing a warmth she was curled up to, inched closer to it. She heard her pillow mumbled something inaudible, and momentarily wondered what it could be, but then realized that pillows normally couldn't talk.

And now that she thought about it, pillows didn't usually move up and down as if breathing, either. She looked up, to see that her pillow was not actually a pillow, as she had guessed, but was in fact, a sound asleep Chichiri. She blinked at her discovery, but then shrugged groggily, and proceeded to try to go back to sleep, hoping that no one decided to come wake them up.

Tasuki woke up shortly after daybreak and crawled out of the tent to take a walk. When he got back roughly an hour later he found that Emily and Tomite had gotten up and were arguing about Emily's now black nails. Tomite said she had been cursed while she insisted it was paint. " 'Eh you two, don't 'ake me split you up." Tasuki said and walked over to Karasuki's and Joes tent. He stuck his head in and saw Joe trying to wake up Karasuki. He pulled his head out and walked over to Chichiri's and Serena's tent sticking his head in and laughed when he saw Serena using Chichiri as her pillow. " 'AKE-UP!" he bellowed.

"AHH!" Serena jumped awake, up off Chichiri, and looked, wide eyed at who was now standing in their tent, while Chichiri also jumped awake, and looked frantically around the room. He then spotted Tasuki, and smiled at him in greeting. "Um, good morning, Tasuki, no da!" he greeting, while Serena just stared at the flame haired bandit, with wide eyes, and a slightly red face.

Tasuki smirked at Chichiri. "And you thought _I _was the one who was trying something." He smirked again then his face changed into one of surprise as Tomite pulled him out. " Let me see the love making!"

Chichiri's eye widened, and he blushed, while the already present blush on Serena's face deepened. "Nothing was happening! I swear, I just mistook him for my pillow, or something, because I stayed up a little while last night, and I was too tired to realize he wasn't! That's all it was! Plus, we don't like each other like that, do we, Chichiri?"

Serena stated, looking to Chichiri, who shook his head, to show that she was correct about that.

Emily growled dragging Tomite out of the tent while laughing at Serena and Chichiri. " Suuuuure you don't she said letting go of Tomite who was worried she would curse him with her black nails. She rolled her eyes and pretended to curse him, Tomite screamed and cowered behind Karasuki.

Karasuki, who had just walked over to the tent to see what all the ruckus was about, was startled when Tomite screamed and hid behind her. "What are you doing!" she exclaimed, before noticing Emily pretending to curse him.

She eyed the Genbu Priestess's black nails, before rolling her eyes, figuring it was a other-world thing, and glanced into the tent that was the current focus of attention, to see Serena and Chichiri sitting beside each other, deep blushes on their faces, accompanied by scowls. "Ooo, getting a little too friendly, I see..."

Joe looked at Emily and Tomite smirking before looking into Chichiri's and Serena's tent. His eyes widened as he saw them blushing, his mind registering 2 and 2. " Why you…" he growled eyes a light in anger as he dragged Chichiri out of the tent, having every intent of killing him.

Chichiri 'DAAAAA'ed as he was dragged out of the tent by the furious Joe, and Serena's eyes widened, realizing what Joe was about to do to the poor, innocent blue haired monk. "ACK! JOE, NO! NOTHING HAPPENED! DON'T HURT HIM, HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" she shouted after them, and jumped up to her feet, rushing out of the tent, to see Joe holding up a now-chibi Chichiri, who was trying to explain what happened.

Joe growled lossening his grip on Chichiri. " What do you mean he didn't do anything! You were both beet red!" Tomite turned his eyes to look at the arguing cousins and chibi monk. Emily looked from Joe to Tasuki who had his hand on his fan. " Joe, 'et go of Chichiri… 'efore I 'et you on fire." Emily looked between everyone slightly afraid of what they'd do. Where was Taiitsukun(don't know how spell it) when you needed her?

Serena angrily stormed up to Joe, and grabbed a corner of Chichiri's cloak, to try to take him from her cousin. "I meant just what I said, he didn't do anything. All that happened was, last night, I stayed up for a while, then when I decided to go to bed, I accidently thought he was my pillow, and was too tired to realize he wasn't. And Tasuki found us that way this morning." she stated, pulling the chibi monk (who by then felt like a toy being pulled back and forth by children) away from her cousin.

Joe let the chibi monk fall to the ground, his own face turning a shade of red. Tasuki moved his hand away from fan shaking his head. " 'Is is 'eh punishment I receive 'or 'eaving 'eh bandits." He muttered and started a fire to make breakfast.

Chichiri wiped his forehead in relief, before popping back to normal, and walking back into the tent to get everything ready for when they were going to leave.

Serena glared at her cousin for a few more moments, then turned away from him, and walked over to Emily, the glare on her face still present, which was a major result at being embarrassed and woken up this early. She was no morning person, and embarrassment made it worse. "SHUT UP!" she randomly shouted, and then walked past Emily, into the tent, to get her music.

Emily jumped when Serena shouted and blinked a couple times wondering why she had shouted at her. After a little while of staring after Serena she went into her own tent and came out a few seconds later with her dads sword. " I'm going for a walk" she said walking off down the road. Tomite glared at Joe. " Look what you caused!"

Karasuki glared at Tomite, and walked over to Joe, her hands on her hips. "It wasn't his fault, you baka! It was Tasuki and your fault, for accusing the other two of doing things and making it a big deal and alerting everyone else to it!" she accused, with a frown.

Tomite looked at her in shock. " Me! Tasuki started it. I was just being me. I'm only 16 years old! This is how I'm supposed to act at this age!" Tasuki stood glaring at Karasuki. " I idn'y do nothing'. I 'as simply 'etting 'ack at Chichiri for something he said to me before. He looked down the road after Emily as she started to get farther away.

Serena came back out of the tent after a few minutes, and looked around for Emily, hoping to apologize for shouting at her. She blinked, and then walked over to Tasuki, Tomite, Karasuki, and Joe. "Uh, where'd Em go?" she asked.

Joe looked at the ground avoiding his cousin. Tomite looked at Serena then Tasuki, " He'll tell you!" Tasuki glared at Tomite before pointing down the road, walking toward it when he realized he could no longer see Emily. " 'He 'ent 'hat way. 'Aid she 'as taking a 'alk"

Serena stared down the road, and squinted her eyes, hoping to see Emily, but failing. She then frowned slightly, and said, "I think I'm gonna follow her. If we're not back by the time Chichiri's finished, come looking for us." she then began running down the road in the direction Emily had gone, picking up a white, smooth (except for a few bumps that stuck out on it, but not very many) four foot long stick on the way.

Emily continued walking before sighing and sitting down on the side of the road, hoping no one decides to scare her. She looked down the road towards where the camp should be and sighs realizing she can't see it.

Suddenly, an amused voice echoed from the trees behind Emily, "That wasn't very wise, Priestess of Genbu."

Emily jumped spinning around drawing her dads sword. "Who's there!" she asked, a shiver prickling up her spine as she recognized the voice.

The voice chuckled lowly, but the owner of the voice did not appear from the shadows. "Who? Who indeed. I believe you know who I am."

Emily cautiously took a step forward, her breathing quickening. " You're Nakago…aren't you?"

Three slow, quiet claps followed, but Nakago still did not step forward out of the shadows. "Very good, Priestess of Genbu." he said, and then, he took a single step forward, enough for his silhouette to be seen. "I have more to speak with you about, but I believe I hear your friend coming. Sayanora, Genbu no Miko." with that, he took the step backwards again, and once again disappeared from sight.

Emily sheathed her sword, shaking in fear before looking down the road to see Serena running toward her. " Serena!" she yelled running toward her friend.

**Serena heard her friend yell for her, and began to run faster, waving her hand not holding the stick. Once she reached her friend, she bent over, her free hand on her knee, trying to catch her breath. "Wh... what is it?" she breathed, once she could manage some sort of reply.**

**Emily looked behind her then at Serena. " It…it was Nakago. He appeared, and said he would talk to me more but he heard you coming and disappeared." Emily grabbed Serena by the arm dragging her back towards the camp. " We've got to tell the others….. He's alive!"**

**Serena's eyes widened, as she heard what her friend had said. "Shoot!" she exclaimed, and began to run with her friend, instead of being dragged.**

**Emily let go of Serena starting to run quickly reaching the camp. " Chichiri! Tasuki! Tomite Karasuki!" Emily screamed reaching the camp. " 'ats up sun brat?" Tasuki asked smirking lightly. Tomite just stared at her and Serena, tanding behind Karasuki still afraid of Emily.**

**Karasuki rolled her eyes at Tomite, and asked Emily, "Yes, what's the matter, Emily?" as Chichiri walked out of his tent, his mask barely showing the confusion on his real face underneath.**

**Emily glared at Tasuki before turning back to Karasuki and Chichiri. " Nakago's alive! I just saw him and spoke to him. He said that he had more to say to me but disappeared when Serena showed up." Emily shivering slightly looking at everyone, then noticed the confusion on Joe's face. " Nakago- evil leader of the Seiryuu seven."**

**Chichiri gasped, his eye widening under the mask. "What? That can't be possible! Unless, of course... unless another Priestess of Seiryu has come? But, no, that can't be, because it's only been a year since Yui and Miaka left..." he said, the appearance of the leader of the Seiryu seven obviously confusing him.**

**"I don't think it's a new priestess. He knew I was the Priestess of Genbu though, that's all he called me by." Emily said looking at Chichiri. Tasuki just gaped at Emily in surprise. " Na…Nakago! 'Ut I saw 'im die!"**

**Karasuki, confused by the whole big deal about this 'Nakago', blinked. "Well, I don't know who this 'Nakago' is, but obviously, he was a great threat. So, shouldn't we be heading off to find the other Byakko and Genbu warriors, so these two can wish for him to be gone?" she mentioned, and everyone looked to her, seeming to have forgotten that she was there.**

**Joe looked around compltetly confused. Tomite looked at Serena. " Did you see him.. This Nakago person? I mean if what Tasuki is saying is true that he saw him die.. How did Emily see him. Maybe you were just imagining things?"**

**Serena looked to Tomite, and shook her head. "I didn't see him, but I believe Emily. She doesn't just randomly say she saw some evil guy that's already dead. Unless we're trying to scare each other, but that's too cruel a joke to pull." she said, not seeming to acknowledge Karasuki's suggestion.**

**Emily glared at Tomite. " He said he'd be back to talk to me more. If Serena hadn't shown up when she did……I don't know what would have happened." Emily looked at Chichiri and Tasuki. "What do you think is happening?"**

**Chichiri shook his head, frowning slightly. "I don't know, no da, but whatever it is, it must be the reason that you two because the Priestesses of Genbu and Byakko." he was about to continue, when Karasuki sent a light water spray at all of them, irritatedly.**

**"_Hello_, anybody listening to the Byakko seishi that already had a good idea? That was my thoughts from the beginning of this conversation, Chichiri, and that is the reason I said what I did! Now, does everyone wanna just continue talking here, or get going to find the rest of the Byakko and Genbu seishi!" Karasuki exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips in obvious irritation.**

**Tasuki yelped slightly when the water spray hit him. He glared at Karasuki. Tomite stared at everyone wondering what would happen next. " We do need to find our other warriors….But how do we know what…who we're looking for?"Emily asked.**

**Karasuki looked to Emily, and smiled brightly, motioning to herself and Tomite. "Well, that's obvious. Tomite and I should be able to identify the other Genbu and Byakko seishi, since we knew them before. And since I look the same as I did before - dunno if Tomite does or not, but from your reactions to him earlier, I'd say he does - I assume that the others would too." she declared.**

**Tomite nodded his agreement. " Yeah, I'll recognize my fellow seishi anywhere." Emily looked at Serena and the others. " Shall we get going again then? Before any other dead guys pop up."**

**Tomite looked at Karasuki. " Do you recognize that voice, 'cause I sure don't. Is she one of the Byakko seishi?"**

**Karasuki had a exasperated frown on her face as she turned to look at Tomite. She sighed, and nodded. "Yep, I recognize that voice, alright... unfortunately... KOKIE, WHEREVER YOU ARE, COME OUT ALREADY!" Karasuki shouted angrily up into the trees.**

**Suddenly, from the tree right above Karasuki, a small black figure fell quickly, and fell directly onto the Byakko seishi. "KARASUKI! It's great to see you!" the chibi shadow exclaimed, seeming to be squeezing the life out of the blue haired girl.**

**Emily and Tomite stared at the chibi shadow and Karasuki wondering what was going on. Tasuki sighed whiled Joe just glowered.**

**Karasuki's eyes bugged out of her head, and she gasped for air, grabbing at the shadow that was now strangling her. "Kokie! Stop it... you're... strangling... me!" she choked out, and as she did so, the chibi shadow let go of her neck, plopping to the ground, and popping into a full-sized shadow.**

**The shadow stood up, dusting herself off, and then placed what appeared to be hands on what appeared to be hips. "Neh, you're still no fun." she said, and then reached up to what appeared to be her head, and pulled the cloak she was wearing away from her face, revealing chin-length perfectly straight dark purple hair, with a black cloth tied around her head as a headband, and eyes the same color as her hair.**

**Tomite snickered as Kokie choked Karauki but then strted trying not stare and gaze at her when she took off the cloak. Tomite smiled his most charming smile stepping in front of Karasuki, in front of Kokie. " Hello my dear, how lovely you are. My name is Tomite and I'm guessing yours is Kokie?"**

**Kokie stared at Tomite for a minute, before blinking, and raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Or you can call me by my real name, Lawan, if you wish, even though I really advise you don't." she stated blandly, before turning away from him and glancing around the group of people with a slight frown. "Aw, man, no one else I'm familiar with. Okay then. I'm Kokie, as you all heard from my fellow Byakko seishi, so, you wanna introduce yourselves now?"**

**Joe smiled bowing slightly. " Hello Kokie, I'm Joe, Serena's cousin." Tasuki sat back down with a sigh. " So 'uch 'ciment an' its 'onl the 'orning!" he shook his head again. " I'mTasuki the Suzako seishi." Tasuki said before looking at Emily. " And that's sun-head." Emily growled. " My name is not sun head. It's Emily, Priestess of Genbu." Tomite stepped so Kokie was looking at him again. " I like the name Lawan. I think I'll call you Lawan." Tomite said making his desion.**

**Kokie narrowed her eyes at the brown haired boy, and placed her hands on her hips. "Fine, but don't be surprised if I often don't answer to it." she stated in a haughty tone, before pushing him roughly out of her way, so she could see the others as they introduced themselves.**

**Serena smiled, and waved slightly at Kokie, before realizing that bowing was the proper greeting for this time and place, and bowed. "I'm Serena, the new Priestess of Byakko." she said, and Kokie blinked in surprise, but soon got over it. Chichiri smiled under the mask polite, making the mask smile wider, and he bowed as well. "And I am Chichiri, the other of the last two remaining Suzaku seishi, no da." he said.**

**Tomite stumbled back, an aghast look on his face she'd actually shove him. " Why you….." he growled and held out his hands coating her back with ice. " Never shove me out of they way." Emily sighed shaking her head and covering her eyes.**

**Kokie, at feeling the ice cover her back, growled, frowning deeply, while moving her hands to reach somewhere inside her black robe. "Oh, I'm so cold!" she cried, mockingly, before pulling two daggers from her cloak quickly, dashing over to Tomite. She popped into a chibi very quickly, climbed up onto his shoulders, and held the daggers threateningly to his temples, with a growl, that would have been threatening, if it hadn't come from a chibi voice.**

**Tomite's eyes widened and he froze. " Sorry Kokie sorry Kokie sorry Kokie!Please no kill me!" Tomite pretended to cry and he wimpered softly. Joe tried to hide the smirk that was taking control of his face.**

**Kokie nodded her head in satisfaction, grinning brightly, before hopping off him, and popping back to normal before she hit the ground. She then stuck her daggers back in her cloak, and thwacked Tomite hard over the head. "We're gonna get along just fine, Baka-san!" she chirped happily.**

**Tomite mumbled something and rubbed his head. Joe smirked openly trying not to laugh,even though he knew not what she said, as Emily said, " Don't you mean bakasaru-san?" Tasuki smirked and whispered to Chichiri, " Just like our old group get togethers right?"**

**Chichiri laughed, and nodded his head. "Yeah, no da. Tomite and Kokie remind me quite a lot of you and Tamahome, na no da." he answered, as Kokie burst into laughter, and then stuck her tongue out at Tomite. Serena laughed as well, having great fun watching the scene, while Karasuki just shook her head, with a smile.**

**Tasuki frowned slightly. " They remind me to much of me and Tamahome." Tasuki muttered back taking a step away from Karasuki. Tomite glared at everyone before just scowling. Emily laughed then jerked her head toward the trees as she heard a twig snap. " Did you hear that?" she asked taking a somewhat fearful step forward.**

**Karasuki nodded her head, because she had actually been hearing it for several minutes now - since her hearing was enhanced. "Yes... but, I can't hear quite what it is..." she said, in a quite tone of voice, placing her hands together, forming a swirling water sphere between them. Kokie pulled the daggers from before from her cloak, completely switching to joking mode to serious seishi mode. Chichiri took his staff out, frowning, trying to sense who the source of the twig snap was.**

**Tasuki drew his tessen ready to set the forest on fire while Tomite turned toward the sound his palms out in front of him. Suddenly a voice spoke up. "Send the Genbu priestess forward and none will be hurt." Emily looked at Tomite wondering if it were one of her warriors but he looked completely mystified. Emily took a couple steps closer to the voice. " What do you want with the said person?"**

**Kokie, Karasuki, and Chichiri (even though he was a Suzaku seishi, instead of a Byakko seishi), who had stepped closer to Serena, just in case, relaxed somewhat, but not all that much. Chichiri was thinking up the spell to use for in case the person in the shadows attacked.**

**Tasuki stepped forward after Emily as did Tomite. " Emily, maybe ye' should stand 'ack." Tasuki whispered but Emily shook her head taking another step forward. The voice laughed. " Brave and foolish of you priestess." Then the voice changed tones and muttered something that caused ice serpents to surround Emily.**

**Tomite's eyes widened when he saw the serpents and Tasuki about to melt them. " TASUKI NO!" he screamed before walking into the woods and coming back dragging Hikitsu out with him. " How dare you harm our Priestess?" Hikitsu glared at Tomite. " I was only trying to test her which you failed to do." He said matter factly and the serpents disappeared.**

**Serena and Chichiri both stared at Hikitsu, both recognizing him. But, Karasuki frowned, stormed up to Tomite, and hit him with the large water ball she had formed a while before. "You idiot! You told us all you'd know the other Genbu seishi's voices when you heard them?" she snapped, placing her hands on her hips, quite irritated.**

**Tomite glared at Karasuki rubbing his head. " He changed his voice and I didn't recognize it. Well…. I knida did but I wanted to see what mischievous he would cause." Tomite smiled then hid behind Hikitsu when he saw the look Emily was giving him. " You wanted to see what mishchief he would cause! You could atleast have given me some warning to those ice serpants!" Emily yelled at him. Tomite frowned more a glared at Hikitsu. " It's all your fault." Hikitsu growled. " How is it my fault! If you had tested her I wouldn't of had to!"**

**Sensing a fight coming, and not wanting it to go any farther, Serena and Chichiri (the peacemakers) tried to think of some way to get the others to stop fighting. They glanced to each other, thinking maybe the other had an idea, but neither did. Just as Chichiri was about to say something - anything, really - Kokie, stormed up to the four fighting, and hit them each over the head. "Shut up, Karasuki, Emily, Tomite, and Hikitsu!... It's Hikitsu, isn't it? I'm right, I bet, but who cares. All any of us others care about is you guys SHUTTING UP!" she shouted, pulling out of the daggers and pointing it threateningly at all four of them.**

**Tomite shied away from the dagger. Hitkitsu growled again and the ice serpants rose up behind him ready to strike. " Get that dagger away from me." Emily rubbed her head glaring at Hikitsu and Kokie. " No thank-you Kokie. Hikitsu try to calm down, we have to stick together and I don't want a war constantly happening." Hitkitsu glanced at Emily before the ice serpants disappeared. " As you wish."**

**After things had calmed down a bit, and the group had packed up the tents and such, Serena, once again, pointed the obvious out. "Uh... there are only three horses still, and now there are nine of us..."**

**Before she had even finished that train of thought, Kokie shook her head, and placed her hands on her hips, with a bright smirk. "Nuh-uh! Four horses, I have my own horse. 'Cause a traveling dead shadow girl needs a shadow horse, y'know. But, I'm not sharing my horse with anybody. Unless it's Karasuki or Serena, since they're both Byakko people like myself."**

**Hkitsu looked at Serena. " Five horses actually. Tomite may ride with me, or Emily is she wishes." Tomite walked over to him. " I'll ride with you!" Hikitsu rolled his eyes mumbling " Why am I not surprised?" before walking into the woods where he had been hiding and walking back with a icey white horse. Hikitsu climbed onto the horse before offering a hand down to help Tomite up. Emily looked around. " Same tent parteners then as riding parteners?"**

**Kokie nodded quickly, before bringing up two finger to her mouth, and whistling a loud, sharp, quick whistle. As she did, a black horse trotted out of the forest, and stopped beside her. She petted it's mane, before hopping up onto it's back. "So, Karasuki, Serena, either of you going to ride with me?" she asked, looking to Karasuki, then to Serena, then back to Karasuki.**

**Serena shook her head, smiling politely. "That's alright, Kokie." she said, walking over to the horse that Chichiri was already sitting on, and he helped her up onto it, in front of him. Karasuki shook her head at Kokie also, looking over at Joe. "Nah, that's okay, Kokie. I think I already have a riding partner."**

**Joe blushed slightly at what Karsuki said before climbing onto his horse and reaching down a hand to help her up. Emily walked over to the horse Tasuki was sitting on and took the hand he had offered before yelping slightly when he let go letting her drop to the ground. Emily glared at him as he laughed. " Silly 'un-head. You 'ould 'e more careful." Emily growled and stood up brushing herself off. " Well fire brain I guess I'll have to be when around you." She continued to glare at him as she pulled herself up onto the horse.**

**Karasuki smiled up at Joe, took his hand, and used his hand to pulled herself up in front of him. Serena, who had been watching Tasuki and Emily, laughed. "Oh, they get along _so well_..." she joked to herself, before straightening in her seat, still smiling widely.**

**Emily glared at Serena and sighed grabbing her book then screaming slightly as Tasuki kicked the horse causing him to gallop down the road when she wasn't ready. "TASUKI!" she yelled. Tasuki laughed and stopped the horse just as the other started to disappear. Joe sighed and got his and Karasukis horse going at a trot. Tomite and Hikitsu stared after Tasuki and Emily before galloping after them.**

**Chichiri and Serena's horse trotted after the others, while Kokie's galloped quickly ahead of every, Kokie herself grinning at the speed her mare could attain. She momentarily glanced back, sticking her tongue out at everyone else, and then turned forward again, slowing down somewhat. "So, where are going next? Sairo, Hokkan, what? I'd say Sairo, myself, since we're closer to it! I mean, we're right on the border." Kokie shouted back at everyone from up front.**

**Tasuki and Emily trotted next to Chichiri and Serena's horse after that. Emily looked at Serena. " Serena you know better than I do the different countries. Where do you think we should go?"**

**Serena glanced at Emily, before biting her lip in thought. "Hm... well, maybe Sairo, since we are so close to it." she said, careful not to mention Tokaki and Subaru, since she was from another world and shouldn't know who they were. "Yeah. Let's go there, and then go to Hokkan. So we won't have to go all the way there, and then all the way back here."**

**Emily nodded her head in agreement. " Sounds good to me." She smiled and looked at Joe and Karasuki. "Sound good you two?" Joe shrugged. " I have no clue what you guys are saying so I don't really care." Tomite and Hikitsu rode up next to them. " It sounds good to us thanks for asking." Tomite said.**

**"So it's settled! We're gonna go get the rest of us Byakko seishi, and then go get the Genbus! Great! I can't wait to see the others again." Kokie chirped to herself, and in response, Karasuki let out a loud laugh. "Right! More like, you can't wait to see Toroki." she teased, to which Kokie cursed loudly at her.**

**Tomite smirked. " Awww does little Shadow girl have a boyfriend?" Hikitsu sighed and shook his head. Emily glared at Tomite. " You live to cause trouble don't you?" Tomite shrugged watching Kokie.**

**Kokie cursed loudly once more, and sent a dagger whizzing past Tomite's head. Again, the cursing. "Darn it, I missed! And Toroki and I are not together, I never liked him like that! Just because we always did things together, does not mean we liked each other! So shut up, Karasuki you baka!" she shouted at Karasuki, before turning to glare at Tomite. "Get my dagger!"**

**Tomite hopped off the horse and grabbed her dagger. He threw it forwards to her and hopped back onto Hikitsu's horse. He cursed under his breath and glared at Emily who was laughing. Emily saw him glaring and stuck her tongue out at him.**

**Kokie, still in a bad mood, didn't even thank Tomite, but just continued to frown (pout, really), and ride her horse. Karasuki smirked, knowing something Kokie didn't know she knew. "Oh, you don't, huh? Well, then I guess I must have been imagining things when I saw you guys kissing that time..." she teased, and, as before, all she got in response was a loud curse.**

**Emily laughed and yelped as Tasuki kicked the horse into a gallop. Tasuki looked at Chichiri over his shoulder bringing the horse to a sudden stop. " 'Ey Chichiri 'anna 'ace?" Emily scowled at Tasuki. "I don't wanna race." Tasuki smirked. " Then don't." He then shoved her off the horse. " You 'oming Chichiri?"**

**Chichiri blinked under his mask, glancing down at Serena momentarily, before looking back up at Tasuki. "Well... I don't know, no da..." he hesitated. Serena smiled slightly, and slid off the horse, somewhat startling the monk. "Go ahead and race with Tasuki, Chichiri." she said to him, backing slightly away from the horse. He blinked again, and smiled at her, nodding his head slightly, before kicking the horse lightly, to make it gallop.**

**Emily glared at Tasuki and stood brushing herself off. She walked over to Serena. " Who do you think will win?" Tasuki waited until Chichiri was next to him before he started galloping down the road.**

**Serena shook her head, watching as the two raced down the forest path. "I have no clue. I mean, Tasuki is the seishi of speed and everything, but that doesn't mean his horse is..." she trailed off, as Chichiri's horse began to speed up a little.**

**Tasuki growled and kicked his horse making him go faster. Emily watched the race as Tomite and Hikitsu stopped next to them getting off the horse. Joe stopped his horse next to theirs watching the race. " Looks like they're tied." he said.**

**Serena nodded, agreeing with her cousin. "Yeah, looks like it." she replied, and heard her comment echoed beside her, from the still pouting Kokie.**

**Emily watched the race with interest. Tasuki slowly got slightly ahead of Chichiri.Joe slightly stood so he could see them. " Tasuki's in the lead but it doesn't look like he'll be there for long."**

**Serena nodded her head, as Chichiri kicked his horse lightly once again, trying to get it to get ahead of Tasuki's. "I wonder if they know what their finish line is..." she joked, figuring that they probably did. "Oh! Look, Chichiri's getting ahead... or, wait, not quite... they're tied again."**

**Emily jumped onto Tomite shoulders so she could see better. Tomite scowled slightly but didn't fight, being happy to help his priestess. Emily yelped and winced. "Tasuki's horse just stopped and he did a nose dive into the ground. Now Chichiri is hopping of his horse and helping him. Ewwww Tasuki is covered in blood." Emily hopped down and ran toward them.**

**Serena ran towards them as well, followed by Karasuki, who had jumped down off of Joe and her's horse, figuring her water skills could help clean up the blood.**

**Emily stopped next to Tasuki. " Are you ok fire-brain?" Tasuki glared at her blood flowing from him nose. " 'Ell 'un 'ead, 'ould 'ou 'e 'if 'ou 'ad 'ust 'fallen 'ff a 'orse?" He asked he speech even worse than usuall because of the blood.**

**Karasuki bent down next to Tasuki, peering at his nose. "Huh, you're the second one to get a broken nose, aren'tcha? Well, just let me clean that up... don't worry, it shouldn't hurt." she said, forming a water ball in her hand, then directed the water so that it ran itself along the blood, washing some of it off, before making the water splash to the ground.**

**Tasuki screamed as the water hit him and nearly fainted. " 'Re 'ou trying 'o 'ill me woman?1!"**

**Karasuki growled and him, and had to force herself not to make some water go up his broke nose. "How did you ever guess?" she snapped sarcastically, before shaking her head. "No, I am not trying to kill you. I'm just trying to get the blood off you, you baka!"**

**Tasuki mocked her and pushed her away before standing up. " 'ine but 'nough with the 'ater 'ashing." Emily smirked and poked his nose. " Did that hurt?" Tasuki growled and shoved her away.**

**Karasuki stood up, and walked over to Joe and her horse, climbing up in front of him. Chichiri nodded his head, acknowledging the fact that Tasuki was pretty much fine, since there was really nothing to do about either his nose or Joe's. He and Serena walked back to their horse, and climbed up on it.**

**Emily pulled Tasuki to his feet and dragged him over to there horse. She climbed up then helped him up behind her. Joe smiled at Karasuki and sat down on their horse so she could better. Hikitsu andTomoite climbed back onto there horse and started riding down the rode.**

**"Um..." Serena muttered, looking up, away from book she had been reading in, and catching Chichiri's attention. He looked down at her, and tried to peer around at her face. "What is it, Serena, no da?" he asked, and she glanced down at her book, shaking her head. "Oh, nothing really. Just that, I'm ever-so-slightly hungry..."**

**Emily blushed slightly as her stomach growled. " I agree with Serena… only I'm hungry not ever so-slightly-hungry." Joe nodded his head in agreement as did Tomite and Hikitsu.**

**"Yeah! Are we gonna stop soon so we can eat? If I remember right there's a place with food up ahead, if we don't have enough or something. I remember, 'cause I stopped there before I found you guys." Kokie stated, and kicking her heels against her horse, making it begin to gallop.**

**Tomite smirked and kicked his heel against his and Hikitsu's horse making it gallop as he tried to get past Kokie. Tasuki smirked and wrapped one arm around Emily and squeezed as he kicked his horse into a gallop. Joe followed the others at a canter.**

**Chichiri decided to go slower, but fast enough not to lose the others, and Serena was really pretty glad at that - otherwise, he would have had to do like Tasuki had done with Emily, and with the incident this morning, she really didn't want any more close contact than necessary. _Much too embarrassing_. She thought, with a nod, agreeing with herself.**

**Emily gasped slightly as Tasuki held onto her tightly and galloped down the road. Then she smiled trying not to blush as she felt his breath on her neck, then she shook her head and frowned. _What am I doing, smiling, BLEH! in the words of Tal….._ she thought sighing.**

**Kokie's voice exclaimed, as loud as usual, "WOO, I SEE IT!" and as she did, everyone else noticed the building that they were heading directly for. She pulled on the reins of her horse, forcing it to slow down, and dust to fly up into everyone else's faces. "Food, here I come!" she cheered, jumping off her horse, tying it to a nearby tree, and dashing into the building.**

**Tomite and Hikitsu followed suit, Hikitsu and Tomite racing against each other. Tasuki slowed the horse down then jumped off using his seishi speed to get ahead of Tomite and Hikitsu. Emily yelped as she realized Tasuki hadn't stopped the horse and she quickly grabbed the reins pulling her horse to a stop.**

**Chichiri pulled his and Serena's horse to a stop after reaching the others, slipped off, and helped Serena slip off as well. "Thanks, Chichiri." she said, with a smile, before turning and following the others into the building.**

**Emily hopped off her horse, an angry gleam in her eye. " TASUKI!" she bellowed storming into the building after Serena. Joe followed suit, minus the anger and bellowing and storming. Tasuki looked toward the door hesitantly and backed away as he saw a quivering Emily.**

**Serena noticed her friend near to explosion, and sweat dropped. She quickly walked up next to her, and patted her shoulder, slowly. "Em… calm down. Please. Before you kill your riding partner…" she said.**

**Emily growled and turned her head slowly and glaring at Serena. " Serena… Where is your seishi Karasuki…"**

**Serena raised an eyebrow, and glanced around at Karasuki. "Over there. Why?" she asked, looking back to her ticked off best friend.**

**Emily grinned mischievously and stalked over to Karasuki and whispered in her ear. " May I request a favor?"**

**Karasuki tilted her head, and 'hm'ed, giving Emily a curious look. "What type of favor?" she asked.**

**" The type favor that would…. Not hurt but definitely scare and enrage my riding partener…" Emily replied.**

**"Hmm…. Let me think about that… yes." Karasuki smirked, and strode slowly up to Tasuki. She raised her hand, up in front of his face, and then sent a large jet of water spray from her hand, completely soaking his head.**

**Tasuki went rigid and twitched before screaming and lunging toward Karasuki. " 'EVER 'IT 'E WITH 'ATER!" Emily laughed as the water hit him then moved so she was between Tasuki and Karasuki. " Now , now little wet head. I told her to soak you, get mad at me not her." Emily grinned at him.**

**"Now, now, no more fighting. We're all hungry, and you three're irritating us; just because of having to wait for you three is making me hungrier. Now move before I slice you up and eat YOU." Kokie stated, walking up to the three and pushing them roughly out of the way, stalking into the building.**

**Tasuki and Emily leaped out of her way. Tasuki glared at Emily and she stuck her tongue out at him. He growled and took a step towards her but suddenly Joe appeared and stepped between them, " Keep on walking flame breath." He muttered and glared coldly at him. Tasuki snarled and stormed into the building. Emily looked at Joe then walked inside kinda surprised by his actions.**

**Karasuki watched the others walk into the building, then followed them in, to a long table. They sat there for a bit, and even in that short time, Kokie got impatient. "OI! SOMEONE COME HERE! WE'RE REALLY HUNGRY!"**

**The waitress scurried over to their table as she heard Kokie's annoyed voice and didn't want to hear it again. " What'll you people be having?"**

**"Um…" Kokie started, looking at the menu that was always on the table. She squinted at it, bringing it up as close to her face as possible, before taking it away and looking up at the waitress. "That." she pointed to a meal on the menu.**

**Joe looked at the menu in disgust then looked at Serena. " I'll have what you have." Emily said the same thing then added " Or just the food you brought…"**

**Serena nodded, and examined the menu, that was written in Chinese, but amazingly, she found herself to understand. "Um… I'll have the… chow main." she said, looking up at the waitress, with a smile.**

**The waitress nodded writing down all the orders before looking at Hikitsu and Tomite. " We'll have this!" they said pointing to the same thing. The waitress looked at what it was then wrote it down. Tasuki pointed randomly at the menu still glowering at Emily.**

**The waitress took the last of the orders and walked off before to give them to chef. After a little while she came back bringing the orders with her. " Foods up." she said as she handed the food around to the starving people.**

**"YES! Finally!" Kokie exclaimed, immediately digging into her food. Almost disgustingly quickly. The others stared at her for several minutes, before starting into their own food. "I haven't had food this good in… over a hundred years." Kokie exclaimed, happily grinning.**

**Emily looked over at her. " I thought you said you'd eaten here just before coming to find us?"**

**Kokie looked back at her, with a slight glare on her face. "Let me exaggerate in peace." she snapped, once more digging into her meal.**

**Emily rolled her eyes poking at her food, taking a bite every now and then but not to much.Joe did the same thing, taking only one real bite.**

**Serena tried a bite of her's, and smiled as she realized it tasted better than the usual chow main she had.**

**As everyone else finished there food Karasuki paid the bill with her money and they set out on there way.**

(We'll edit the mile long bolds later)


	3. Truth or Doom

Tim read the book intently, after having returned to his house. He had nearly ripped the book in two when he read the part about Serena using Chichiri as a pillow, but calmed himself down soon afterwards. And then had nearly ripped it in two again when Nakago had showed up to Emily. "This book is gonna give me a heart attack..." he muttered to himself, and continued to read.

* * *

Emily leaned against Tasuki, closing her eyes with a yawn. Tasuki looked down at her slightly surprised then smiled watching her. " Ca…can we," Emily yawned, " stop for the night?" Tasuki nodded as did Tomite there liking of this agreement. Joe nodded his head absently then went back to staring at Karasuki. 

"That sounds like a good idea, no da." Chichiri agreed, and Serena, who was reading in her book by flashlight, nodded her head, but continued reading. Kokie, in response, just yawned extremely loudly, and Karasuki nodded slightly.

Tasuki and Hikitsu pulled there horses to a stop and Tasuki helped Emily off of her horse before looking around. " Hikitsu, Kokie, 'id you 'o 'ring tents?"

Kokie jumped off her horse, and lifted up a bag from the horse. "Yeah, I brought myself a tent. Only for me, though. If any one wants to share, tough luck." she stated, walking off to go set up the tent.

Hikitsu picked up a similar bag that was slightly bigger. " I brought one but someone can share with me." he looked at Tomite. " Want to share?" Tomite smiled a mischievous smile and nodded. Tasuki set up his tent and Joe set up his. Joe gently took Karasuki's hand and led her into the tent, closing the flap behind them.

Tasuki snickered then looked at Emily. " 'Ould it 'e ok 'ith you if 'Chiri and I shared a tent tonight?" Emily shrugged as if to say, sure, why would I care where you slept?

Chichiri got off his horse, helping Serena off as well, and set up the tent that Serena and Emily were most likely going to share. He smiled at the others, telling them 'goodnight', before proceeding into the tent that Tasuki had set up. Serena returned the 'goodnight', and proceeded into the tent that Chichiri had set up.

Emily crawled into the tent that Chichiri had set up smiling at Serena finally feeling a lot less sleepy. " How are you enjoying this bizarre trip?"

Serena laughed slightly, laying out a blanket, and pillows. "It's interesting... and fun, too, except for the Nakago part, of course... and the part where everyone teased Chichiri and me for things we didn't do..." she replied. "What about you? You enjoying it?"

Emily smiled doing the same as Serena before laying down and staring at the top of the tent. " I'm loving it, even the part about Nakago. Not so much the part about Chichiri teasing Tasuki and me."

Serena, after having laid down, blinked, and looked at Emily with an eyebrow raised. "Oh? What is this? Did that happen when you and Tasuki shared a room?" she inquired.

Emily nodded. " It was while you were gone. I had started going hysteric when my bracelet broke, the one connecting me to you, and Tasuki hugged me trying to calm me down. Chichiri found us like that and jumped to conclusions."

Serena laughed, turning over onto her stomach, and hugging her pillow. "Hahah... so, we've both got plenty of the embarrassment for this trip... hopefully, that'll be it..."

Emily smiled. " We can hope that but I doubt that will be it. I mean Tomite is out to cause everyone trouble."

"Meh... yeah, he's kinda like Talitha that way..." Serena chuckled.

Emily grinned the her face fell. " I miss Talitha and Rachel. Why couldn't they come with us?"

Serena's face fell as well, and she sighed. "I miss them, too... and I don't know... probably because they haven't seen the book yet, and aren't Priestesses... but... then, how do we explain the fact that Joe's here... it'd make more sense for THEM to be here than HIM..."

Emily nodded her agreement then smirked. " Though if he hadn't come we wouldn't be able to tease him about liking Karasuki."

Serena snickered under her breath. "Yeah, that's incredibly fun..."

Emily grinned then rolled on her stomach closing her eyes. " We should try to get some sleep."

Serena closed her eyes, and shrugged. "Suppose so... not really tired, but that's usual... and we need plenty of sleep for riding and such, unless we wanna fall asleep and lean against our riding partners, embarrassingly."

Emily would have grinned but couldn't for she was already asleep.

* * *

In Chichiri and Tasuki's tent, Chichiri fluffed up his pillow, then slipped under his blanket, resting his head on his pillow, ready to go to sleep; he was really quite tired. "Sleep well, Tasuki, no da..." he mumbled, with a yawn following it. 

Tasuki lay ontop of his blanket his head on his pillow as he started to poke Chichiri.

Chichiri grunted at the first poke, and raised a hand, trying to swat at the bandit. "Tasuki, no da... I'm tired... sto-op it, no da..." he said, a yawn stretching the 'stop' out.

Tasuki grinned continuing to poke. " I know you're tired."

"Then why the poking, no da...?" Chichiri asked, opening his eye ever-so-slightly and glaring at the bandit.

" I 'on't 'ant you 'eeping no da." Tasuki replied.

"... n'..." Chichiri replied, glaring at Tasuki, before turning over onto his other side, hoping that maybe NOW the redhead would leave him alone.

Tasuki shook his head picking up his tessen. His grinned and started poking Chichiri in the back with it.

"Tasuki-kun, no daaaaa..." Chichiri whined, having been woken up, once again, by Tasuki's poking. "I want to be alert tomorrow, na no da... if you keep poking me, I won't be!" he grumbled, pulling his blanket up over his head.

Tasuki sighed knowing Chichiri was right and he snuggled into his covers slowly falling asleep.

Chichiri smiled slightly at the fact that Tasuki had finally given up on his bugging him, and proceeded to try to fall asleep. He laid there for a few moments, before opening his eye again, turning his head around to glare at Tasuki. _Great... now I'm wide awake, no da... thank you, so MUCH, Tasuki-kun, na no da..._ he thought, annoyed, and rolled over again, grumbling to himself under his breath.

* * *

Emily slowly woke up and quietly crawled out of the tent so not to wake Serena. She looked around and saw that she was the only awake. She looked toward the sky and saw the sun hadn't even yet started to rise. 

Emily sighed closing her eyes and smiling as she felt a breeze whistling through the trees. She picked up a stick, deciding to take a walk. She grabbed her little notebook and pen out of her pocket scribbling a note to Serena, telling her where she had gone. Emily put the Note on her pillow before walking down the road.

A tall silhouette followed after Emily, unnoticed by the Priestess, hidden in the foliage, as silent as death. A low chuckle escaped it, not loud enough to catch her attention.

Emily continued walking, her grip on the stick tightening as she got the sense she was being watched. She glanced to either side of her, quickening her pace.

The shadow continued to slowly follow her, until it purposefully stepped on a twig, alerting the blonde to it's presence. It chuckled lowly again, walking ahead a few paces.

Emily spun around, so fast she almost fell backwards. She stared into the foliage, slowly walking toward it trying to see what… or who is there.

The silhouette laughed once more, this time loud enough for Emily to hear.

Emily stopped short staring at the place she heard the laugh from. "Who's there?"

"Who, indeed." the silhouette replied, in a very familiar, deep voice. "Who do you think, Priestess of Genbu? Certainly not one of your warriors."

Emily smirked walking forward slightly again. " Would it by any chance be a dead guy name Nakago-chan?"

"Hm. Defiant - quite different from Lady Yui and her friend, the Priestess of Suzaku." Nakago remarked, the amusement gone from his voice, as he remained in the shadows.

" I take it that's a yes." Emily stepped forward, standing a few feet from the edge of shadows." So how's hell these days?"

A rustle was heard from the bushes near Emily, and then Nakago slowly stepped out from the shadows, towards her, with a smirk on his face. "You wouldn't be interested." he replied, stepping right up to her, and grabbed her face, turning it one way, then the other. "Hm... you're just as beautiful as Lady Yui was... it's a shame you're the new Priestess of Genbu, instead of Seiryu..."

Emily snarled slightly as he grabbed her face jerking it out of his grasp. "Don't touch me. I don't want to become labled a bio hazard." Emily smirked slightly.

Nakago's smirk dropped somewhat, and he narrowed his eyes, taking a single step back away from her. "Very well, then. Maybe..." he stopped in his sentence, and turned his head in the direction that she had come. "It seems, as before, I am interrupted. I must go. Farewell." he then turned, and walked back into the shadows, disappearing.

Emily growled slightly glaring down the way she had come stomping down the road, annoyed that someone had stopped him again.

Chichiri had also woken up early, shortly after Emily, in fact, and had also decided to take a walk, after having laid in bed for a bit longer. As he started out on the walk, he heard two voices, and quickened his pace to see who was up ahead - it looked like Emily, and someone else, who darted quickly into the trees. "Emily? What are you doing out here so early, no da?"

Emily scowled at Chichiri walking towards him. " I woke up early decided to take a walk. What are you doing here?"

Chichiri blinked in confusion, under his mask, at the scowl she was giving him. "Basically the same as you, no da... Who was that, that I saw you talking to, no da?" he inquired, glancing to the trees.

Emily glanced at the trees, no longer scowling as she wondered if she tell him the truth. " Nakago."

Chichiri's eye widened, and he gasped slightly, jerking his head back to look at Emily. "Nakago? This close to our camp, no da? We're going to have to have someone stay up as a guard from now on... and what were you two doing, talking? Are you alright, no da?"

Emily sighed knowing this was coming. " We were simply talking about something. He was about to tell me more or something when you showed up. Of course if you hadn't showed up I'd probably have a mark on my cheek from his hand…"

Chichiri frowned slightly, and turned around, heading back towards the camp. "Let's get back to camp and wake the others, no da." he said.

Emily sighed slightly following him back to camp. She went into Hikitsu and Tomite's tent waking them up. "Get up." Hikitsu rose instantly and walked out of the tent leaving Emily to shake Tomite awake.

Chichiri went to the tent that Emily and Serena had shared, and walked in, immediately spying Serena half-completely covered, and half-smothered in blankets, hugging her pillow, and mumbling in her sleep. He laughed quietly under his breath, before popping chibi, crawling up to her face, and poking it. "Time to get up, Serena, no da!" he chirped, and she grumbled, batting at him, before turning over onto her other side.

Emily dragged Tomite out of his tent grumbling before walking to the tent Tasuki and Chichiri had shared. She grinned putting her ear next to Tasuki's."WAKE UP!" she yelled causing him to jump awake. She fell over on to her side laughing. He growled and hit her in the arm somewhat playfully. " 'Hanks 'or 'uining my 'fect 'earing!"

Chichiri laughed slightly at the antics in the other tent, and, still in chibi form, proceeded to crawl up onto Serena's left side. She grumbled in her sleep about something to do with stupid cats and for someone called 'Simbol' to go away (Simbol being her cat), and he grinned at her, before reached down to her stomach, about ready to tickle it. "Serena, wake up, before I have to resort to tickling, na no da!" At that, Serena's eyes flew open, and she sat straight up, making Chichiri go flying backwards. "Daaa!"

Emily crawled out of the tent, still laughing then realized that Joe and Karasuki were all that was left to be awakened. She walked over to tent and pulled the edges and stuff causing it to collaspe. " Wake up you two love birds!"

"AAAIIE!" Karasuki shrieked as the tent toppled onto herself and Joe, and shot directly up, yelling something along the lines of the roof caving in, before she stopped, and proceeded to try to find her way out of the collapsed tent. "Whoever did that is getting soaked!" she threatened, crawling over Joe because of not being able to see him in the dark. "Oh, sorry Joe..."

Joe grumbled an ok getting up. Emily looked around then shoved Tomite toward the tent as she backed away making it appear like he had pulled down the tent.

Karasuki finally found an exit, lifted up the edge of the tent, and glared out at Tomite, whom she saw first. She then sent an extremely large water sphere at him, and crawled out completely from beneath the tent, dusting herself off. Just as she did so, Kokie whizzed past with her tent rolled up under her arm, knocking her down, back onto Joe. "Oh, oops, sorry again..."

Tomite stood shaking in anger, quickly drying himself off. Joe grinned as Karasuki fell on him again. He stood helping him to her feet. " Are you ok Karasuki?" he asked.

She nodded, brushing herself off once more after standing up with Joe's help. "Yes, I'm fine, thank you, Joe." she replied, smiling brightly at him.

Joe grinned idiotically then blushed as he saw Emily smirking towards him. Emily walked towards Joe whispering in his ear, " Are you and her an item yet?" Joe growled and shoving her away. " That would be none of your business you little brat." Tasuki emerged from his tent just as Joe pushed Emily, causing her to fall over on him.

Karasuki gasped, and hit Joe in the shoulder. "Joe! What did you push your cousin's best friend for? She surely didn't do anything to you!" she scolded, crossing her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

Joe gaped at Karasuki then frowned whispering in her ear what Emily had asked. Tomite smirked as he looked at Emily laying on Tasuki. Tasuki growled shoving her off to which she glared at him. Emily stood brushing herself off, glaring at Hikitsu who was helping Tasuki to his feet.

Karasuki's face turned slightly pink, and she glared slightly at Emily. That's when Serena and Chichiri came out of Emily and Serena's tent, to see quite the strange scene. They both stared at the group for a few minutes, before Serena asked, "Did we miss something?"

Joe and Emily glared at each other before looking at them. "NO!" Tomite and Hikitsu stared at each other trying not to laugh as Tasuki dared to speak. " 'Mily 'sulted Joe 'ausing 'im to push her 'nto 'e. Karasuki 'ot mad and then 'ou came." Tasuki nodded once meaning he was done speaking.

Serena laughed, as Chichiri blinked under his mask, laughing slightly as well. Serena then took her bags that she was carrying over to her and Chichiri's horse, throwing them over. "I see. So that's what the thumping I heard was." she said.

Emily repeated what Serena had said in a mocking voice before looking toward Chichiri. " Well everyone is now awake and here, so shall I tell them what happened?"

Chichiri looked to Emily, and nodded his head. "Yes. Go ahead, no da." he said, as Serena looked at Emily with a confused expression on her face - Karasuki and Kokie also looked at her with a perplexed look.

Tomite and Hikitsu wore similar faces as they looked at her. Joe stared at her curiously as did Tasuki. Emily looked at the ground then back up. " I had another run in with Nakago."

Serena's eyes nearly burst out of her head as she and Karasuki exclaimed, "WHAAAT!" Kokie raised an eyebrow, and looked at Emily strangely. "Who's Nakago?" she asked.

Emily sighed looking at Kokie. " Nakago- Evil bad guy, head Warrior of Seiryuu that is supposed to be dead. Now do you guys want the cropped edition of the encounter or the full detail, word for word basically description?" Emily looked around as Joe just starred at her trying not fall to down. Hikitsu glowered as he heard Emily's answer to Kokie, instantly angry at himself for not being there to protect her. Tomite shared the feeling. Tasuki just looked bemused and stared at her his mouth hanging open.

Chichiri was the one to answer, even though he had already heard it pretty muchly. "How about the full detail, no da." he suggested, and Serena, Kokie, and Karasuki agreed with him.

Emily sighed slightly then nodded. " I woke up early this morning and decided to take a walk. After a little while I heard some noise in the trees next to the road and heard him laughing. I walked over to the trees and.. Well didn't really insult him as much as taunt him. He came out, grabbed my face looking me up and down, looking at it. I had really insulted him..and pissed him off just as Chichiri came." Emily finished looking around.

Serena scowled, walked up to her best friend, and thwacked her hard over the head. "EMILY! What are you thinking, pissing off the big bad guy that can KILL you!" she exclaimed, giving her best friend a scolding look - or, at least, attempting to.

Tomite and Hikitsu twitched, trying not to do as Serena did. Joe plopped down in a chair rubbing his temples. Tasuki twitched and 'REKKA SHINEN' ed a tree before glaring at Emily. Emily scowled at Serena rubbing her head. " But it's so much fun. I mean you should have been there."

Serena's scowl deepened, and she tried to keep herself from hitting Emily over the head again. "Em, just because it's fun to look death in the eye, doesn't mean you should DO it! What if Chichiri hadn't come at that moment!" she exclaimed.

Emily looked at the ground. " He wouldn't have killed me. He need's me..and you. I'm sure of it. I could see in his eyes how hard he had to try not to hurt me as it was…."

Serena, still quite irritated, screamed a closed mouth scream to get rid of the excess anger. She then opened her mouth back up, sighed, and shook her head. "Alright then... if you say so..." she grumbled with a shrug, turning and walking back to Chichiri and her horse.

Emily looked at the ground walking into the tent she and Serena had shared, grabbing her bags. She threw them on her's and Tasuki's horse with a sigh. Tasuki grabbed his bags, taking down his tent putting it away. He threw it and his bags on their horse. Emily climbed onto the horse, Tasuki getting on behind her.

Chichiri took down his tent, put it away, and put it on his horse. He then climbed up onto the horse, and helped Serena climb up in front of him. Kokie got up on her horse, grumbling to herself about the dramatic atmosphere.

Emily sighed as Tasuki and Tomite took off down the road. Joe got his and Karasuki's horse ready to go. Joe Climbed onto his horse reaching his hand down to Karasuki.

The water elemental took Joe's hand and used it to help pull herself up in front of him. Kokie, not liking to wait, kicking her horse lightly, urging it to go, and Chichiri did the same shortly afterwards.

Joe kicked there horse as soon as Karasuki got on. And so the group headed off down the road in a deep silence. Emily stared straight ahead, wondering why she had done what she had.

They traveled for a while in silence, until Kokie decided to shatter the dullness like a window. "Jeez, we're all a bunch a chatterboxes, aren't we? My eardrums are breaking from all this NOISE." she snorted sarcastically.

Hikitsu smirked ans sent some Ice Serpents after her horse. " That lighten the mood?"

She looked back at him, and, at noticing the ice serpents, her eyes widened dramatically, and she let out a high pitched squeal. She spurred her horse to go faster, screaming as she took off way ahead of the rest of them. "EEEEEEIIIIAAAAA!"

Hikitsu almost fell of his horse laughing. He called the serpants back, banishing them to whence they came. Emily snickered uncontrollably and Tomite really did fall of the horse laughing.

Serena burst out laughing at the scene, and Chichiri had to tighten his grip on the reins to keep them both from falling off from Serena's laughing. He laughed slightly under his breath at the scene. Kokie just continued riding as fast as she could away from the ice serpents that weren't there anymore, shrieking at the top of her lungs.

Tasuki tightened his grip on his horse reins galloping off down the road. " 'Okie! they're 'one now." He yelled to her as he and Emily got closer to her. Emily glowered at Tasuki slightly then sighed realizing he was in the right.

Kokie heard his shout over her screaming, and stopped her horse, as well as her screaming. "... Oh. Right." she muttered, bowing her head in embarrassment, her face flushing a pink color. "Heh, heh..."

Tasuki pulled their horse to a stop with a sigh. " I take it you hate snakes Kokie?" Emily asked.

Kokie glanced up at Emily, her eye twitching slightly, and she nodded her head. "Yes, snakes are the worst." she stated.

Emily snickered slightly then gave Hikitsu a thumbs up. Hikitsu grinned speeding his horse up so he and Tomite could catch up with there Priestess.

Kokie noticed Emily snicker and give the thumbs up sign, and growled, "It's not funny!"

Emily looked towards her smiling," Yes it is. Especially since snakes are my mom's greatest fear too…." As Emily said the last part her smile fell and she sighed.

Tomite and Hikitsu looked at the ground sensing the sadness in their Priestess' voice. Tasuki looked at her then at the road, his usual smirk falling from his face. Joe looked over at Emily and bit his lip trying to think of a way to cheer her up.

Serena heard, just as she and Chichiri caught up to the others, Emily say the thing about her mom and snakes, seeing her visibly sadden. She bit her lip, thinking about back home, finding herself also sadden significantly. "I wonder how my parents are doing..." she mumbled to herself.

Joe rested his head on Karasuki's, his own sadness showing up. He sighed softly then looked at Emily and Serena, noting that Tasuki had wrapped a comforting arm around Emily.

Chichiri noticed Serena sigh in a depressed manner, and glanced down at the top of her head, a sympathetic expression on his face. "Serena...? Are you alright, no da...?" he asked quietly, to which Serena answered with a nod. "You sure?" he asked, still concerned, and she nodded her head harder, laughing ever-so-slightly under her breath.

Joe growled slightly when he saw how Tasuki and Chichiri were acting. Emily sighed and smiled softly resting against Tasuki, which brought forth another growl from Joe.

Serena heard Joe's growls, and glanced over at him, with a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter, Joe?" she asked. She glanced around, then looked back at him, with a shrug and a confused expression on her face. "I don't see anything to growl about. Except the heat, of course, but I don't think you'd glare at Chichiri and Tasuki so viciously if it was just the heat." she stated, trying to seem dense.

Joe glared coldly at Serena. " My dear sweet cousin, do not push it. Also from now on I think you and Emily need new riding partners." he nodded and continued riding

Serena glared back at him, but turned her head forward, giving a slight 'hmph' under her breath. "Chichiri and Tasuki are not like that, my _loving_ cousin Josiah. They would never do anything like that to us - they're just comforting us." she hissed at him after a few minutes.

Joe smirked. " _Of course_ they wouldn't. Bah Humbug! And the name is Joe, not Josiah." Emily looked between the two cousins sighing softly and shaking her head.

Serena made a irritated noise, and rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Well, I don't really like fighting, so I'm just going to ignore you now." she said, closing her eyes, and resting her head forward against her chest.

Joe repeated what she said in a mocking voice then smirked. Emily glared at him to which he stuck his tongue out at her. Tomite and Hikitsu rode next Joe and Karasuki so Tomite could reach over and thawck Joe on the head.

Serena would have replied to his mocking version of what she had said, but because she hadn't gotten to sleep until quite late that night, was drifting off to sleep. She yawned, then her body began to sag off to the side, and would have fallen off, if Chichiri hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back up onto the saddle, to lean against him.

Emily smiled softly and leaned against Tasuki trying to get comfortable. Joe simply growled and glowered as they did this rubbing his head where Tomite had thwacked him.

Karasuki rolled her eyes, and muttered to Joe, "Joe. Chichiri and Serena, and Tasuki and Emily are doing less than us. There's not even that much pointing out that any of them like each other... well, there is, but we don't know that they'll ever do anything, now do we?"

Joe sighed. " I suppose you're right. It's just I feel like there older brother and I don't want them to get hurt. Serena is my cousin, she and Emily are always around my family's house. It's hard to explain."

Karasuki nodded, with a smile. "I understand. I felt the same with my younger siblings, relatives, and their friends. But, even though I was still protective, I still let them be around those of the opposite gender."

Joe sighed. " Maybe I'm being just a tad bit protective?" Emily nodded. " I'd say so."

Kokie, who had not said a single word (A/n: Malinconia: WOW! Amazing!) for at least fifteen minutes, snorted loudly at Joe, and shouted to him, "A TAD bit? From what I can hear from here, sounds like you're being quite a bit more than just a TAD BIT. Sounds like my older brother!"

Joe glared at her then sighed. " You're right. Emily, Tasuki, Serena, and Chichiri… I'm…I'm sorry." After he spoke Joe spit and wiped his mouth. " I spoke the forbidden phrase!"

Chichiri glanced over at Joe, and smiled at him through the mask. "Apology accepted, Joe, no da. And, I'm sure, if Serena were awake, she would say the same, na no da." he said.

Emily looked at Tasuki and at the same time said. " Apology accepted." Tasuki then smiled and kicked the horse causing him to gallop.

Karasuki was about to praise Joe on his newfound speech abilities, when she heard something from the trees they had just exited. "Stop." she whispered, and closed her eyes, to concentrate on the noise she had heard. "Did you hear it? There's something in the trees behind us..."

Tasuki pulled his and Emily's horse to stop as did Hikitsu his and Tomite's. " What is it?" Hikitsu asked softly watching Karasuki. Tomite silently drew an arrow and strung it into his bow pointing it towards the tree. Tasuki grabbed his tessen waiting for the thing to show its self.

Kokie grabbed her knives from inside her cloak, ready to fight if need be. Chichiri held his staff out in front of him, ready to cast a barrier, or do anything else necessary. Karasuki once more heard a noise come from the trees, and from the sounds she was hearing, was pretty sure it wasn't human. "I'm not sure, but I think it's not human, and it's large." she replied quietly to Hikitsu's question.

Hikitsu nodded and sent an ice serpent towards the trees to investigate. Emily hid her eyes when she saw it come back. It was no longer an ice serpent, but more….. A wisp of water to say the least.

Kokie frowned at the ice-snake-turned-water-wisp, and glared into the trees. "That can't be good." she stated, quite plainly, as another noise rumbled from the trees, this time loud enough for them all to hear. It sounded like a mix between a enormous fire roaring, and a tiger growling. "Uh... that really can't be good."

Emily hid behind Tasuki shivering slightly trying to see what it was. Tomite and Hikitsu backed away in slight fear. " It…it…oh this sucks." Was all Tomite could manage to say. Tomite and Hikitsu slowly moved closer to there Priestess. Joe led his and Karasuki's horse over closer to Serena and Chichiri's horse.

Kokie also moved her horse closer to Serena and Chichiri's horse, to protect her Priestess. Just as she did so, the trees began to rustle, and then bent to the side, a tiger darting out. The tiger was gigantic; on it's four paws, it stood at about seven and a half feet tall; all around the tiger's body licked flames, that never caught on any of it's surroundings. Everyone of them stared at it in silence, before Kokie broke it. "Shit. That is one mean looking kitty."

Hikitsu and Tomite backed there horse away from the flaming tiger, Tomite lowering his bow and arrow. " Uh..Tas..Tasuki. Do you think you can take care of Emily? Thanks." Tomite said as he hopped off the horse and ran. Hikitsu started to do the same but didn't. "Damn my heroicness."

Karasuki slipped off of her and Joe's horse, knowing that fighting is better done on foot rather than horseback, and began forming a huge aqua sphere in her right hand, the left hand guiding the shape of the water. After a few seconds, the sphere was as wide as the tiger itself, and she brought her arm back slowly, then brought both of them forward quickly, the orb of water flying from her hands and hitting the tiger at full speed. When it hit the feline monster, the animal cried out momentarily, from the surprise, but soon after the water had engulfed it, the water sizzled, and disappeared into nothing more than vapor.

Tomite was hiding behind a tree fitting 4 arrows into his bow, before pulling back and firing them at the tiger. He repeated this process many times before pausing to make more arrows. Tasuki dared not use his tessen, afraid it would strengthen the beast. He hopped off his and Emily's horse running around the beast as fast as he could to bring up a wind around it, hoping to put out the flames.

The tiger snarled in anger, and in pain, as Tomite's arrows hit it and Tasuki ran around it. It ducked it's head low, watching the red headed bandit circle it, until it swung a paw out as he passed in front of it, hitting him back away from it. It then hissed, and from the blaze around it shot two darts of flame in the general direction of Tomite, hitting the tree he was behind. The tree immediately went up in flames.

Tasuki crashed into the trees laying there momentarily in pain before slowly rising to his feet trying to decide what to do next. Tomite quickly got away from the fire and ran closer to his Priestess. " Joe! Take Emily and Serena to a safer location!" He yelled at Joe as he handed Joe the reins to Emily and Tasuki's horse before offering a hand to Serena to help her over to Emily and Tasuki's horse.

Serena (now awake, of course) took the offered hand, and let Tomite help her to the Emily and Tasuki's horse. Chichiri, now that Serena was with someone else, jumped off of their horse, and began muttering a spell under his breath, aiming towards the tiger. The monster looked around the group, it's eyes landing on the retreating Priestesses. Kokie snarled at the beast as it began advancing towards them, and threw one of her knives at it, the knife embedding itself in the creature's right front leg.

Joe led took the reins of the horse that Emily and Serena were on and took of down the road towards a river that they'd cross in hopes of being safer. Tasuki leapt up and got closer to the beast stabbing it with his tessen. Hikitsu drew a sword from the side of his horse, his new ice sword, and made a slashing movement toward the tiger, causing a giant, sharp, icicle to hit the tiger.

As the others hurt the tiger, Chichiri finally finished the spell, and a red chi ball exploded underneath the tiger, sending it flying ten feet into the air, then it fell back to the ground, completely disoriented. It just lay there for a few minutes, bleeding from it's several wounds, with a dazed look on it's feline features.

Tomite finished making the arrows and fired at the fallen beast as Hikitsu repeated the slashing movement twice more upon the beast. Tasuki backed away after stabbing it twice more, watching as the others slowly killed it.

The tiger let out one last, low snarl, before the flame around it died, and it's eyelids slid close, indicating it's passing. Kokie, just in case, threw her other knife at it, and knew immediately that the beast was dead, for the knife embedded itself in the tiger's forehead. "Yes! We did it, it's dead! Are the Priestesses okay?" she asked, pulling her now bloody daggers from the forehead and foreleg of the animal.

Joe and the Priestesses joined the others as soon as it died. " We're okay. Are all of you ok?" Emily asked as she hopped off the horse and walked over to the warriors. Hikitsu replaced his sword in it's hilt before nodding. "We're fine." Hikitsu replied speaking for both himself and Tomite.

Kokie turned to Emily, grinned widely, and struck a pose. "I'm fine, of course! I am the great Byakko warrior, Kokie! No stupid pussy cat can hurt me!" at this, mostly everyone sweatdropped. Karasuki nodded after Kokie stopped her strange posing.

"I'm fine as well." she said, as she hopped up onto her and Joe's horse, smiling slightly. Chichiri also nodded, confirming to the others that he was alright, then proceeded to walk over to his and Serena's horse; but, as he did so, he stumbled, using his staff to keep himself upright.

Emily chuckled softly at Kokie's actions then looked over at Tasuki. " Are you okay? That tiger hit you pretty hard." Tasuki grinned and walked over to her. " I'm fine. 'Ike a flame 'at 'ould hurt 'e." Emily smiled softly in relief before quickly hugging him. " Good." Emily smiled as looked at Joe who was glowering slightly.

Serena slid off the horse, and walked slowly over to where Chichiri and the horse were, a ever-so-slightly worried look on her face. "You sure you're okay, Chichiri? You stumbled, and it didn't look like you stumbled on some that was in the road..." she said, and Chichiri shook his head at her, the mask smiling brightly.

"Oh, I'm fine, no da! I just stumbled because that spell I used to blast the tiger into the air takes a lot of energy, so I'm kind of tired now, no da." he said, climbing up onto the horse, then helping her get up on it in front of him.

Tasuki climbed onto his and Emily's horse offering her his hand. Emily took it as he pulled her up onto the horse in front of him. " I suggest we go to a safer location, and then make camp. After that battle we definitely shouldn't ride for much longer. Plus when you add in the variable of this heat…" Emily said.

Serena nodded in agreement as Kokie got up on her horse, and then galloped forward a ways. "I agree with Em." she stated, brushing a lock of her hair out of her face.

Tomite and Hikitsu climbed onto there horse riding after Kokie. Joe kissed Karasuki softly on the top of the head before riding down the road. Tasuki smiled as did Emily as they rode down the road after them.

Chichiri and Serena followed after the others, and Karasuki smiled brightly at the kiss that Joe had planted on her head. They rode for a while, but still had not come across a good place to stop for camp.

No one but Kokie noticed, as a small burnt orange colored bird flew up, and landed on her shoulder. She gasped quietly, and stared at it with wide eyes, before it flew back up, dropped a small, crumbled up paper on her lap, then flew off, back the way it came.

Emily watched the strange bird as it flew off before looking at Kokie. " Is that your pet?" Joe rested his head on Karasuki's not noticing what was going on with the bird. Tasuki looked and Kokie as he pulled there horse up next to hers.

Kokie jumped slightly, looking around to Emily and Tasuki as if they were accusing her of something. She blinked a couple of times, before laughing quietly, her face relaxing. "Oh! O-oh, that bird? Yeah, my pet... right... that's my pet alright! My pet... Li, my bird..." she stuttered, not realizing how suspicious it sounded.

Emily raised an eyebrow as she continued to look at Kokie. " Suuurree. Truth please Kokie of the Byakko Seishi." Tasuki nodded as Tomite and Hikitsu pulled their horse up to the other side of Kokie's horse.

Kokie shook her head, looking away from Emily and Tasuki, avoiding everyone's gazes, as Chichiri and Serena rode up close as well. "Truth? That is the truth! That's my pet bird! It is! Yeah..." she said, bringing her hood up over her head, to shadow her face.

Tasuki smirked as did Tomite. " Right, sure whatever you say." Tomite said. Emily watched the Byakko Seishi in curiosity, frowning slightly.

As Joe and Karasuki got closer to the others, Karasuki frowned somewhat, wondering what the commotion was about, having not seen the tiny bird. "What's wrong? Why is Kokie hiding her face?" she questioned, and in response, Kokie cringed.

Emily looked at Karasuki. " A small burnt orange bird landed on her shoulder then flew off. When we asked her if the bird was her pet, she said yes but in a very unconvincing way. So when we asked her to tell us the truth she did this." Emily ended by pointing at Kokie.

Karasuki blinked slowly, before turning her head to Kokie, to see her trying to bury her head down into her shoulders. Karasuki slowly began to smile, the smile turning into an evil smirk. "Heh, heh, heh. Oh, it's her pet, all right. No need to worry about her lying about that." she snickered.

Emily looked between the two of them before scowling. " Mind cluing us in on the little secret of the bird?"

Karasuki began to say something, but before she could get the 'sure' all the way out, Kokie shouted, "No!"

Tasuki and Emily both jumped slightly in surprise at her shout. Tasuki smirked, " Awww why not Kokie? Have something to do with your_…boyfriend_?" Emily looked from Tasuki to Kokie to Karasuki and back again.

Karasuki placed a hand over her mouth to hide her snickers, and gazed at Kokie, to see her reaction. She was hunched over, shaking ever so slightly, before turning her head slowly, menacingly (the hood adding to the effect) towards the red headed bandit. "_What_ did you say?" she asked, quietly.

Tasuki backed up slightly sweat dropping. " I 'sked if the 'ittle bird 'ad anything to do 'ith your boyfriend…"

As soon as the words have escaped his mouth, a dagger whizzed past his head, embedding itself in a tree behind him. "It doesn't! I don't have a boyfriend, Toroki is not my boyfriend!" she snapped, before hopping off her horse, storming over to the tree the dagger was in, pulling it roughly out, and then stomping back over to her horse.

Tasuki sat frozen, his breathing fast in fear at how close that dagger had come. Emily looked at Kokie. " So do you and Toroki was it? Use that bird to pass messages when you two are apart?"

Kokie's vicious glare snapped to the Genbu no Miko, and a low growl echoed from under the hood. Before Kokie could "reply", Karasuki intervened with a snicker. "That's not exactly what the bird is for, but you're pretty close." she stated.

Emily cowered away from Kokie using Tasuki as a shield. Tomite and Hikitsu growled softly in warning to Kokie. Emily looked at Karasuki. " Does it mean he's close?"

Karasuki nodded in reply, a grin on her face. "Oh yeah, probably closer than you think, even."

Joe spoke up for the first time. " He's the stupid bird isn't he?"

"_Stupid bird! STUPID bird!_" Kokie exclaimed, flinging the hood back away from her face, letting everyone see her bright red (previously bright red from embarrassment, now from anger) face, and narrowed eyes. She swiped both her daggers from her cloak, and flung them at him at the same time, both narrowly missing his head, one on each side.

Joe froze in fear then fell off the horse briefly passing out. Emily glanced at Joe then at the daggers then at Kokie. " I take it that his assumption of Toroki being the bird is more correct than incorrect?"

Karasuki smiled brightly, walking over to restrain Kokie from attacking the unconscious Joe, and answered Emily, "Yep! Toroki's seishi power is transformation."

Emily sighed softly as she slid off her horse, walking over and kneeling next to Joe, "patting" Joe on the cheeks until he woke up. Joe wimpered when he opened his eyes and cowered behind Emily. Emily scowled and stood up pulling Joe to his feet. " Get up scardy cat. The worst is past." As Emily was doing this, Tomite and Tasuki were smirking while calling into the trees. " Toroki! Oh little feathery orange Toroki!"

A very loud "ka-THUMP" was heard from the trees, the ground shaking ever-so-slightly. After a few seconds, there were more thumping sounds, sounding like something large running, and soon a large, burnt orange elephant burst out of the trees, charging right at Tomite and Tasuki.

Tomite and Tasuki both popped chibi, their eyes wide, as they screamed. Tasuki quickly put his seishi power to good use leaping off his horse, grabbing Tomite, and running off down the road. Emily looked from the two chibi warriors running away to the burnt orange elephant before bursting into laughter, leaning against Joe so as to not fall down.

The elephant chased the chibis for a little while, before it suddenly morphed into an eagle, stumbled along the ground for a minute before taking off into the air, now chasing the chibi warriors from the air, catching up to them very easily. He decended down at them, and grabbed the top of Tomite's head with his talons.

Tomite instantly started struggling and screaming as Tasuki clinged to him, semi shielding his own head. As Emily watched this battle of the warriors she fell on the ground gasping for breath she was laughing so hard. " He…He was an orange elephant! Now he's an orange eagle." She gasped out before bursting into laughter again.

Toroki-the-eagle continued trying to pull Tomite off of Tasuki, before he suddenly just let go, flew to the ground, and morphed into a human. As a human, he had plum colored eyes, short, spiky burnt orange hair, light freckles, and a smirk. "That'll teach you to make fun of my seishi power." he stated.

As he morphed into a human Emily slowly quited her laughter enough so she could breath and stand up. Tomite and Tasuki looked at each other then at Toroki before both glaring at Emily. " He attacked you two…and almost won.. Even though he was a measily orange eagle!" As Emily gasped out the last word she burst into laughter again.

Toroki looked to Emily and raised an eyebrow. "'Measily orange eagle'? I'll have you know, I was a handsome, majestic, tough eagle!" he stated, with a sarcastic smirk, and a pose.

Emily bit her tongue to stifle her laughter, changing it from a laugh to a hiss. Tomite and Tasuki glowered at her, Tomite flicking her ear as Tasuki thwacked her hard over the head. " Shut- Up!" They said at the same time.

Toroki continued to smirk, and walked over to Emily, cocking his head to the side. "Who are you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow again.

Emily looked at him as she rubbed the back of her head. " I am Emily, Priestess of Genbu. You're Toroki of the Byakko Seven."

Toroki nodded, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, that's me. So, the Priestess of Genbu? Not Byakko? So where's the Byakko Priestess?" he asked.

Emily raised one arm and hand and pointed at Serena who had remained quiet all this time. " The frizzy red head behind her lover Chichiri."

Serena's eyes narrowed, and she slowly began to walk towards Emily, crossing her arms. "Emily, we've gone over this before. Chichiri and I just barely met, we don't feel that way about each other. Plus, he's a monk. Even if we had met quite a while ago, we would not feel anything for each other." she stated, surprisingly calmly.

Emily's eyes widened slightly as she slowly backed away into the edge of the trees. Then for some unknown reason Emily slowly turned her head and looked at the ground next to her feet. " ANTS!" she screamed before running at Tasuki speed away from where she had been standing.

Serena sweatdropped, looking to where Emily had been standing, to see a giant ant hill. She then looked in the direction that her friend had taken off in, to see a blue and blonde blur in the distance. She rolled her eyes, before laughing, the others staring either at Emily-the-blur or Serena strangely. "Uh... what just happened? I didn't know it was humanly possible to run that fast... unless you were a seishi." Karasuki said, stating the question on everyone's mind.

After a little while the blue and blonde blur took the shape of Emily as she came back to the group staying far away from the ant hill, rocking slightly on her feet, her eyes wide in fear. " Ants…I hate ants…It's the evil ants..I hate ants..I hate ants..I hate ants.."

Kokie snorted, and then burst out laughing. "Ants? You're afraid of... ANTS? I suppose I can somewhat understand it, but still! Hahah..." she doubled over, holding her stomach, laughing so hard her laughs were becoming silent.

Emily slowly turned her head toward the laughing Kokie, her fear dissipating into anger. Emily slowly, menacingly, stalked over toward Kokie. " Do. Not. Tease. Me. About. Being. Scared. Of. Ants." Emily spoke slowly before attacking Kokie.

"AHH!" Kokie shrieked, and quickly backed away from the angry Genbu no Miko, pulling her daggers from her cloak and holding them in front of her for protection. "Calm down, calm down! I'm sorry, I was just joking!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Emily grinned insanely quickly "borrowing" Tasuki's tessen to use against the daggers. Tasuki growled and went to grab his tessen back but Joe held him back. " Heh..Heh..Heh." Emily chuckled out before leaping at Kokie.

Kokie's eyes widened more, and she screeched loudly, turning around and climbing up a tree as fast as she could. As soon as she got to a high branch, she peered down at Emily, turned SD, and stuck out her tongue. "Nyeh-nyeh! You can't get me!" she taunted.

Emily pouted and sat down. " You can't stay up there forever. You'll have to come down sometime..and then..YOU'RE MINE!" Tasuki finally got away from Joe and stalked over to Emily, grabbing his tessen and tapping her on the head with it.

Kokie grinned down at the two, and exclaimed, "Ha! Not so tough anymore since your boyfriend took his fan away, huh?"

Emily slowly rose to her feet twitching, before turning to look up at Kokie. " Tasuki-chan…Is..Not..My..BOYFRIEND!" Emily shouted up at Kokie as Tasuki snickered and twitched at the same time before 'REKKA SHINEN'ing the tree.

"FIRE! FIRE! HOT, HOT, HOT! EEEEEEK!" Kokie's panicked squawk was heard from the upper branches of the trees, before a branch was heard cracking. "AAAH!" her screaming was heard, and she began to fall towards the ground, but before she landed she caught one of the lower branches. "Phew..." she sighed, before dropping safely to the ground, relief washing over her features.

Emily acted like she was going to go attack Kokie before running over and hugging her tightly. " I was just messin' with ya' Kokie!" Emily grinned continuing to hug her tightly.

Kokie stared at the top of Emily's head with large eyes, before smiling in relief, and slumping slightly. "Oh good. Not that I couldn't have handled everything you threw at me since I'm a seishi, but I wouldn't want to be on the Byakko Priestess's best friend's bad list..." she stated.

Emily grinned and backed away from Kokie. " Well then. Do we want to make camp here or farther down the road?"

They glanced around the area, to see that it was a pretty good place to camp. Serena smiled, and nodded her head at Emily. "This place looks pretty good to me." she stated, and Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki agreed with her. Chichiri thought for a moment, but then shrugged, agreeing silently.

Emily smiled then looked at Toroki. " Do you have a tent with you?"

Toroki glanced at her, and nodded his head. "Yeah, of course I have a tent with me." he stated.

Emily nodded then looked at with Kokie with a slight smirk. " To bad for you eh?"

Kokie glared at Emily, turned away, and muttered under her breath in a mocking tone, "_'Too bad for you, eh'..._ Pleh." she then proceeded into a long string of grumbles, as she set up her own tent.

Tasuki rolled his eyes and set up the tent he had as Hikitsu set up his and Tomite's. Emily walked over to Serena. " So, it would seem another couple has been united." Emily smirked slightly.

Serena nodded her head with a smile, watching Toroki offer Kokie help with setting up her tent, then switching her gaze to Joe and Karasuki setting up their tent. "Yep. That's two, now." she laughed lightly, and shook her head. "I guess this is the place to go to experience a real life romance movie."

Emily grinned. " Yeah, now we just need to find our Prince Charmings…" Emily dropped off into a laugh as Tasuki and Tomite got into a small fire versus ice war.

Serena watched the "war" for a minute, also laughing, before turning to Emily and asking, "So... we gonna have the same sleeping arrangements as last night?"

Emily thought for a minute before nodding, a sly smile on her face. " Yeah I think that sounds good."

Serena narrowed an eye at her best friend, in a suspicious gesture. "What's that look for?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Emily smiled "angelically". " Oh no reason Serap. Just being my good ol' self."

Serena didn't buy it, but instead of continuing with trying to figure out what the look was for, she just shook her head with a sigh, and walked over to were their tent had been set up. "Whatever you say, Em..."

Emily grinned and half walked half hopped behind Serena. Tasuki looked at the two girls shaking his head.

Serena pulled back the tent flap, and stepped into the tent, to see that the covers and pillows were already set out. She smiled widely, walked towards the blanket/pillow combination to the left, fell to her knees onto the blanket, and then fell forward, smashing her face into her pillow. "Mmm... pillow..." she mumbled.

Emily walked in behind Serena, laying down on the blanket/pillow combination to the right. " No sleeping Chichiri-shoujo." Emily said poking Serena.

Serena grunted into the pillow, picked up her head, and gave Emily a confused look. "And why not?" she asked, crossing her arms underneath her pillow, and resting her head back down on it, staring at her friend.

Emily smiled and rested her elbow on the pillow, her head in her hand. " Because it's to early to sleep, and we need to play truth or dare."

The red head blinked, and laughed slightly, shaking her head. "Of course."

The blonde grinned widely at her friend. " Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Serena answered.

Emily bit her lip thinking for a moment. " Who's cuter… Toroki or Chichiri?"

Serena hesitated for a moment, then laughed embarrassedly, her face turning an almost unnoticeable shade of pink. "Uh... Chichiri. Truth or dare?"

Emily rolled her eyes slightly. " Which do you think Serena dear? Dare."

Serena nodded her head, rolling over onto her back, and resting her arms on her stomach. "Yeah, I figure that. It's just, every once and a while you say truth instead. Anyway... uh... I dare you to... hm... the next time you see Tasuki, tell him you find him very good looking."

Emily scowled and threw her pillow at Serena. " You're evil Serena..really evil." Emily muttered before smiling. " Truth or Dare?"

Serena caught the pillow, using her face (a.k.a. she didn't _really **catch**_ it, it hit her), and laughed, before taking the pillow and throwing it right back. "I know, I know, but it was all I could think of! Um... dare, I suppose."

Emily grinned evilly. " The next time you see Toroki..." Emily paused for a minute snickering. " I dare you to kiss him."

Serena completely stopped all motion, and slowly turned her head to look at her best friend, her eyes wide. "Kiss? That's worse than the dare I gave you... I mean, he is very good looking, I admit, but still... aw, man, Em, you're definitely the meanier-sama... Truth or dare..."

Emily grinned and laughed evilly. " Yes I am Serap, yes I am. And I'm about to get meaner. Truth."

Serena cried out in sarcastic fear, clawing at her face. "Noooo! Gah..." she grumbled, throwing a mock-glare in her friend's direction. "Um... hm... who do you find better looking: Tomite or Tasuki?"

Emily bit her lip in thought. " Tasuki…I guess. Tomite looks way to much like Joe. If I said Tomite was cuter, it'd be like saying Joe is cute which is just wrong. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, I suppose..." Serena said, cringing after she did so, knowing that it was probably a bad idea.

Emily snickered and frowned thinking for a moment before grinning. " I dare you to go bring in, any one of your warriors, or Chichiri, and anyone of my warriors, or Tasuki."

Serena sat up, and looked at Emily with a raised eyebrow. "Okay... that's an interesting dare... I'll go to the first tent I come to and ask whoever's in there..." she said, standing up slowly, and then walking out of the tent, to the first tent that she came to. She peered in, and she mentally groaned at who she saw in there. "Chichiri, Tasuki. Wanna play a game with Em and me?"

Tasuki looked up at Serena from his position on the floor. " 'Ou 'ant to 'Chiri?"

Chichiri also looked up, with a large smile planted firmly on the mask, as usual. "Hm. I suppose so, no da." he said, glancing to Tasuki, before standing up, walking towards the flap of the tent where Serena stood.

Tasuki stood and walked behind Chichiri and Serena, walking into the tent Serena and Emily shared. " 'What're 'ou 'wo playing anyway?" Tasuki asked as he sat down at the back of the tent, stealing Emily's pillow at the same time.

Serena flopped onto her blanket/pillow pile again, but this time sat up straight, and crossed her legs pretzal-style. Chichiri sat down at the front of the tent, also pretzal-style, while Serena answered Tasuki, "It's called truth or dare. I'll let Em explain what it is and how to play it."

Emily glared at Tasuki and grabbed her pillow back before sitting up hugging it. " My pillow Tasuki. Okay Tasuki, Chichiri, here are the rules of truth or dare. You ask someone truth or dare and they pick truth, or they pick dare. If they pick truth, you ask them a question to which they must answer truthfully. If they pick dare, you dare them to do something that they must do. Understand?" Emily said looking around.

Tasuki shook his head. " No questions 'ere sun head."

Chichiri nodded his head, verifying that he understood. "All right, I think I understand, no da..."

Serena smiled slightly, and said, "Well... it should be my turn, since whoever got 'truth or dared' last automatically goes next... so... Tasuki. Truth or dare?"

The fanged bandit thought for a moment, "Dare, dear."

Serena raised an eyebrow at him for a minute, before frowning at him, grabbing her pillow, and chucking it as hard as hard she could at the flame haired bandit, hitting him in the face with it. "Don't call me dear. Please. Okay, dare, huh? Hm... I dare you to kiss Kokie, in the morning."

"I hate you." Tasuki replied with a scowl. "Truth or dare, 'Chiri?"

"Hm... dare, I suppose, no da." Chichiri retorted.

Tasuki smirked. "I dare you to kiss Karasuki."

Chichiri's mask's smile dropped, making it look completely blank. "Kiss... Karasuki, no da...? Alright, then, no da... Emily, no da. Truth or dare?"

Emily kind of bit her lip, looked around the group, before speaking. "So Serena's dead, Tasuki's dead, and Chichiri's dead... I might as well die too. That means dare, fox-man."

Chichiri nodded his head, and 'hm'ed in thought. "Anou... I dare you to... kiss... Hikitsu, na no da."

"Hi... hi... Hikitsu?" Emily choked, "Serena... truth or dare?"

"Dare." Serena replied, grimacing afterwards, realizing that it was probably a bad idea.

Emily laughed evilly. "Dear Serap, you're my best friend, and you always will be, so you mustn't hate me for this dare. I dare you to kiss Tasuki."

"WHAAAT?" Serena exclaimed, her eyes widening to an abnormal size. "Kiss _him?_" she squeaked, looking to Tasuki with a twitching eye.

"Yes, _him_." Emily replied with a smirk.

Serena groaned, and asked in a nervous voice, "Now?"

Emily rolled her eyes. " No next year, yes now!"

Serena made a noise that was a mix between a whimper and a growl, and moved over to Tasuki with an apologetic look on her face. She then quickly pecked him on the lips, and crawled back over to her spot, with an irritated look on her face. "Tasuki. Truth or dare." she asked.

Tasuki sat frozen, before turning his head slowly to glare at Emily. "You'll pay for that. Dare Serena."

Serena seemed to slowly smirk. "Yes she will, Tasuki... yes, she will... Tasuki, I dare you to kiss Emily."

Tasuki's head snapped toward Serena. " What! Why're you punishing me for her dare!" Tasuki continued to grumble as he crawled over to Emily who was shying away from him. " No kissy…no ki.." but Emily couldn't finish what she was saying as Tasuki quickly kissed her before retreating back to his spot while spitting.

Serena smiled brightly, replying, "Sorry, Tasuki! But, it's the only way I could think of to punish her."

Tasuki and Emily muttered something at the same time before sticking there tongues out at each other. " Chichiri…truth or dare." Tasuki mumbled.

Chichiri, who had been completely silent, watching the other three, looked to Tasuki. "Um... dare, no da...?"

Tasuki smirked evilly, crawling over and whispering in Chichiri's ear. " I dare you to pin Serena on the floor and kiss her."

Chichiri's eye widened an extra large amount under the mask, and he squeaked out, quietly, "What did you say, Tasuki-kun, no da?"

Tasuki smirked as he retreated to his normal sitting spot. " I know you heard me Chichiri. Now hurry up before my clothes are out of style."

Chichiri continued to sputter, motioning to Serena and himself. "B-b-b-bu-but Tasuki-kun, that... Daaa!" he whimpered, looking over to the very confused copper haired nineteen year old. He breathed in deeply, building up his courage, and slowly crawled over towards her. When he was in front of her, he stopped and looked over at Tasuki with a pleading look on his face, that was reflected through his mask.

Tasuki sighed. " It's either her or Emily, take your pick which to do the dare with."

Chichiri sighed, and looked back to the now even more confused Serena. He muttered 'sorry' under his breath, before reaching forward, pushing her onto her back, crawling up on top of her, and placing his lips on her's. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock, as her face heated up. After a few seconds, Chichiri pulled away, got off of her, and quickly crawled over to where he had been before.

Emily started at what had just happened then glanced from Serena to Chichiri, and back again before glaring at Tasuki. Tasuki simply smirked his trademark smirk.

Chichiri was very glad for the mask at that moment, or else the others would see the blush on his face. "Emily, truth or dare, no da." he mumbled, glancing to Serena, who was still laying there, staring up at the ceiling of the tent with wide eyes.

Emily bit her lip, slightly in fear of Chichiri getting revenge on Tasuki by using her. " Ano..d..da..dare?"

Chichiri smiled, and said, "I dare you to sit in Tasuki-kun's lap until the end of the game, no da."

Emily growled but slowly moved over and sat on Tasuki's lap. Tasuki and Emily wore similar expressions as they glared at Chichiri. " TorD Serena."

"Uh... since you'd probably get even with Chichiri using me, truth..." Serena said, having finally gathered her wits, and sat up.

Emily frowned, not because she'd wanted to get revenge, but because she couldn't think of anything to ask that she didn't already know. After a few seconds, Emily smirked evilly. " Oh but I can still get revenge Serena. Who did you enjoy kissing, or them kissing you, more, Chichiri or Tasuki?"

Serena looked at her friend in startlement, her mouth dropping open, and she tried to say something, ending up just looking like a fish out of water. "Wha-what? You-! Argh… Um… Well… er… Chichiri, I suppose…" she mumbled, barely audible.

" What was that Serena, I couldn't hear you and I doubt if they did. Did you hear her Tasuki?" Emily asked looking at him. Tasuki smirked and shook his head no.

Serena narrowed her eyes and glared at them both. "Okay… Chichiri…" she mumbled, just a little bit louder.

Emily, having heard her that time, grinned widely and grabbed her pillow, laughing into it loudly. After a few minutes she put the pillow down. " If you two didn't hear her, she said she enjoyed being kissed by Chichiri."

Chichiri looked to Serena, shocked that she had enjoyed it. "What, no da?" he asked, and Serena looked to him, with a slight blush.

"Uh… yeah. Er… I enjoyed it more than kissing Tasuki, at least. Not because I like you like that or anything, don't worry… uh… don't worry!" she said, waving her hands in front of her face in a defensive gesture.

Emily smirked and broke into a fit of coughs, the word 'liar' being heard admist the "coughs".

Emily's coughing fit was replied to, instead of with an 'excuse you', a pillow getting thrown very hard into her face. "It's true, meanier-sama! Shut up!" Serena snapped, glaring at her best friend.

Emily quickly raised her hand to block the pillow, accidently hitting Tasuki on the way. She apologized to Tasuki before throwing Serena's pillow back. " Suure it is. Sure it is. So you gonna ask someone or what?"

Serena caught her pillow, continuing to glare at her friend. "Yeah, yeah. Tasuki, truth or dare?"

Tasuki rubbed his cheek where Emily had hit him. " Um..uh..D..Da..Dare…" Tasuki said slowly, whimpering softly after he said it.

Serena smiled slightly, thinking of what to dare him. "Hm. Let's add to the lap thing. Tasuki, I dare you to keep your arms around Emily's waist, while she's sitting on you."

Tasuki and Emily at almost the same time groaned, and started to complain but after a few seconds, Tasuki slowly wrapped his arms around Emily's waist, and Emily leaned against him to make it more comfortable for both of them. " 'Ruth or 'Are Chichiri?"

Chichiri looked nervous, even through the mask, as he answered, "Um… dare, I guess, no da…"

Tasuki grinned evilly and whispered something to Emily to which she whispered something back. Tasuki nodded his head looking at Chichiri. " I dare you, Chichiri, to kiss Emily." Emily's eyes widened. " You didn't ask if I liked that!"

Chichiri stared at Tasuki and Emily for a moment, before sighing, crawling over towards them, and quickly kissed Emily.

As quick as the kiss was, it wasn't quick enough. Just as Chichiri kissed Emily, Joe burst into the tent. " Will you guuuys." Joe's jaw dropped as he stuttered on 'guy', his sentence forgotten. Joe stood still for minute, watching as Chichiri quickly backed away, and Tasuki let go of Emily and Emily crawled away from Tasuki. " **_EVERYONE OUT OF THE TENT!_**__ " Joe screamed, stepping to the side to let them out. Tasuki and Emily quickly ran out of the tent, shivering outside as the other members of their group started waking up.

Serena and Chichiri also scrambled quickly out of the tent, in fear of what Joe would do if they didn't. Karasuki left her and Joe's tent, with a confused look on her face. "What's going on?"

Tomite and Hikitsu stumbled out of their tent. " We want to get some sleep tonight Joe." Hikitsu said before looking at Tasuki, Chichiri, Emily, and Serena as they huddled together, guilt and embarrassment showing on there faces. Joe ignored Karasuki and the other warriors as he walked towards the cowering figures. "What were you guys doing…HMM!" Joe snapped lunging forward slightly, Tasuki and Chichiri falling backwards in fear.

Serena answered, since she was the only one not seen _doing something_, "It wasn't what it looked like, Joe! Don't kill anyone! It was just an innocent game of truth or dare! No one WANTED to do that stuff!"

Joe started shaking in rage. " INNOCENT..INNOCENT! That was anything but innocent!" Tomite looked from the four fear ridden figures to Joe. " Hikitsu…Looks like the shows about to start!" Tomite grinned and sat down, pulling Hikitsu down next to him.

Kokie and Toroki came out of their tent, both with very, very irritated looks on their faces. "What the _heck_ is going ON out here?" Kokie growled angrily, glaring at everyone there. "I was trying to sleep!"

Tomite looked up at Kokie and Toroki. " Suuure you were." Tomite winked before speaking again. "Anyway Joe's about to kill the Priestesses and the Suzaku warriors, it should be very interesting."

Kokie and Toroki looked from the Genbu warriors, to Joe, Emily, Tasuki, Chichiri, and Serena. Kokie grinned slightly, and rubbed her hands together. "Oooo... It's been a while since I've been witness to a good over-protective-big-brother-figure-against-little-sister-figure fight! You're right, Tomite, this should be very interesting!" she exclaimed, sitting down on a stump.

Emily hid Tasuki behind her as Joe walked closer. " Joe, It wasn't what it looked liked. Serena was just getting revenge on me and Tasuki, that's why we were sitting the way we were. Then Tasuki was getting revenge on Chichiri by making him kiss me. If you want to punish someone, punish me because I was the one who suggested we even play truth or dare…" Emily gasped slightly for breath when she finished.

Joe continued to shake in rage as he got closer, stopping inches from Emily's face. " Is that so… I'm still going to kill Tasuki and Chichiri. And you for letting them do that!" Emily growled and mumbled, " It isn't as bad as what happened to Serena… oops." Emily said as Joe turned his head slowly toward Serena. " Oh, what happened to her now?"

Serena glared over at Emily briefly, before stepping closer to Joe, getting slightly angry herself. "Nothing happened. Even if it did, it means nothing. N-o-t-h-i-n-g, Joe. Truth or dare wouldn't be truth or dare if people were dared to do stuff they wanted to do. Does that tell you anything? And plus, Joe, it's not like we could do anything worse than what you saw anyway (not that we'd want to), Emily and I are _Priestesses_, and Priestesses have to be _pure_, you know!" she snapped, and just as she realized what she had said at the last, she gasped and covered her mouth, eyes widening.

Chichiri looked to Serena in confusion at what she had said at the last. "How do you know about that, no da? I'm pretty sure Taiitsukun hasn't contacted you two, no da..." he said.

Emily growled before speaking softly to Serena so no one else could hear. " Serena..we aren't supposed to know that…" Emily then turned and smiled at Chichiri. " Actually, Chichiri, she did contact us.. Through our dreams yeah that's it. We didn't tell you because we uh..didn't think it was real yeah that sounds good." Emily concluded lamely, and quite unbelievably.

Chichiri, Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki all just raised an eyebrow at her. Serena, who was still mentally chiding herself for having given away the fact that they knew that they had to be pure, walked over beside Emily, and shook her head. "No, that's not how we know, remember, Em? One of the palace servants told you, and then you told me. _Remember?_" she said.

Emily bit her lip for a moment, pretending to think as Tomite, Hikitsu, Tasuki and Joe stared, Tasuki's eyebrow raised. " Oh yeah..now I remember. Stupid hair." Emily said blushing as she pulled on her blonde hair. Joe looked between her and Serena before moving close to them and saying just loud enough for the two girls to hear. "…They don't know they're from a show do they?"

Serena looked to her cousin, and shook her head in response to his query. "No, they don't. And we need to keep it that way (not that my mouth agrees with that), because, who knows how they'd react. I mean, thinking about Tamahome's reaction when he found out they were just book characters... imagine if they find out that they're just characters in a book, in an anime! And... hey, wait a minute." Serena frowned, and placed her hands on her hips, giving Joe an inquiring look. "I thought we were mad at each other."

Joe smirked. " We are mad at each other, but I do not want to hurt anyone emotionally, like they'd be if we told them they were just characters in a book. Besides," Joe pushed Serena lightly, " I have to save my big brother protectiveness for my own sisters, because you know, Talitha did just get a new BF."

Serena nodded her head, with a large yawn. "Yeah, you better save up plenty of your protectiveness for her. So, you better not waste anymore on me and Em. Now, since, for once, I am actually tired, I am going to go to bed now, okay?" she said, with a smile to Joe and Emily. She then walked past them, over in the direction of her and Em's tent, shouting over her shoulder, "Nos da - again!" Then, she disappeared into the tent.

Emily nodded her head, giving Joe a one armed hug. " Goodnight Joe. Goodnight everybody." Emily smiled and waved goodnight, walking into hers and Serena's tent. As soon as she entered the tent she fell down on her pillow and bedroll. " Goodnight Serena."

Tasuki looked at Joe. " 'Ood 'ight Joe!" He squeaked, quickly running into his and Chichiri's tent. Joe rolled his eyes and slowly climbed back into his and Karasuki's tent, " Well, I guess that means the shows over." Tomite sighed and stood up, slouching and walking over to his and Hikitsu's tent. Hikitsu remained outside, moving to sit next to the fire. " I'll stay up and take the first watch."

Kokie told everyone goodnight, before shuffling to her tent, and climbing in. Toroki watched her, before also saying 'Oyasumi' to everyone, and heading in to his tent. Karasuki went to her and Joe's tent, ready to give him a bit of a scolding in the morning. Chichiri said goodnight to Hikitsu, and proceeded to his and Tasuki's tent, pondering what 'Nos da' could possibly mean.

Hikitsu fed the fire before moving into a more comfortable position. " This is going to be a long night." He muttered resting his head in his hands before slowly removing his eye patch. His green kanji, "lo" was pale on his eye. Tomite lay alone in his and Hikitsu's tent, trying to fall asleep.

* * *

Serena yawned, and rolled over in her blankets, to fall back to sleep, mumbling under her breath about stupid mornings. She lay there for a few minutes, trying in vain to fall back to sleep. "Stupid sunlight..." she hissed, pulling the blanket up over her head. 

Emily groaned as she sat up rubbing her stiff neck. " Ow. Stupid sunlight. Serena ish still curse. I want pocky." Emily glared as she said this, shaking Serena awake. Tasuki had been awake for awhile, but had remained in his tent. He smirked and grabbed his tessen, poking Chichiri with it.

Serena pulled the blanket down from her face, to glare up at her best friend. "I'm not asleep. There's pocky in one of my bags I brought. And yes, I am always a curse, now let me pretend to sleep until I am awake." she said, pulling the blanket back up over her head.

In Tasuki and Chichiri's tent, at Tasuki's poking, Chichiri (who was, amazingly, still asleep) grunted at the poking, and brought a hand up out of the blanket, waving it around a bit above his head. "I'm awake now, Tasuki-kun, no da... st'p poking me..." he mumbled into his pillow.

Emily grinned widely quickly searching and finding the pocky. " I'll let you sleep Serena." Emily smiled and slipped out of the tent holding the pocky close.

Tasuki smirked continuing to poke Chichiri. " If I 'top 'oking now, You'll fall asleep again!"

Chichiri frowned, and brought his hand back down into his blanket, then flipped the blanket off, sitting up on his elbows so he could look, sleepily, around to the flame haired bandit. "No I won't. Now, please stop poking me now, no da." he asked.

Tasuki sighed and stopped poking, walking out of the tent, before popping his head back in. " Whatever you say Byakko no Miko lover." With that Tasuki slipped out from tent, scratching his bare back as he walked over to the camp fire.

Chichiri frowned, once again, and started to shout after Tasuki something about not liking Serena like that, but stopped just short, knowing that he wouldn't be heard by the bandit. And, even if he was, it wouldn't make a difference. Everyone was convinced that he and the Byakko no Miko had something for each other. He sighed, and proceeded to get up out of the blankets.

Hikitsu slowly sat up opening his eyes, stretching in away that every joint in his body popped. Emily looked at him, then at Tasuki as she ate some of the pocky. Hikitsu saw her looking at the bandit, but decided to say nothing, for the moment at least. Just as Emily looked away, Tomite crawled out of his and Hikitsu's tent. " G' morning' ye who 'ever sleep." He said or rather mumbled.

Chichiri left his and Tasuki's tent, looking as perky as ever with his mask on. "Good morning, everyone, no da!" he said, cheerfully, and no one could've ever guessed he was grumbling inwardly about not enough sleep.

Emily looked at Chichiri. " Good morning cheery Chichiri. How'd you sleep?" Emily asked as Tomite sat down next to her.

Chichiri glanced to her, and nodded to her. "I slept quite well, no da. What about you?" he asked, as he sat down on a log.

" Quite well actually." Emily replied, glaring slightly as Tomite passed out, his head landing on her shoulder. Emily quickly shoved him away, causing him to fall to the ground and wake up again.

Chichiri laughed lightly as Tomite glared up at Emily, saying, "That's good, no da." He glanced around the small area around the campfire, and then back to Emily. "I take it Serena, Joe, Karasuki, Kokie, and Toroki are still asleep, na no da?"

" Well of course the beautiful couples of Joe/Karasuki and Kokie/Toroki are still "sleeping". Serena is slowly waking up though. She isn't really a morning perSON!" Emily replied, yelling out the last part of 'person' as Tomite tackled her and started tickling her. Hikitsu raised and eyebrow as he watched his priestess laughing as she struggled away from her warrior. Tasuki grinned evilly and grabbed Emily, pinning her arms behind her back so she couldn't struggle as Tomite tickled her.

Chichiri stared at the strange sight, with an eyebrow raised, until he head a tent flip open, and turned to see Serena now standing a few feet away from Emily, Tasuki, and Tomite, looking down at them with a laughing expression on her face. "Ah, so this is why I couldn't fall back to sleep. What did you do to them this time, Em?" she asked, before walking over to a log and sitting down.

Emily gasped for breath before kicking Tomite in the stomach and flipping Tasuki over her, causing him to land on Tomite. Emily looked over at her friend as she grabbed Tasuki's tessen. " All I did was wake up Tomite."

Serena nodded, her mouth forming an 'o' shape. "Aha. If Tomite's anything like me when woken up, than that explains everything." she said with a laugh.

Emily mocked Serena before sitting down, tossing Tasuki's tessen over to him.

Serena looked around, with a raised eyebrow. "I see the couples are still asleep..." she pointed out the obvious, as she had a bad habit of doing.

Emily smirked, muttering under her breath, " Well I count one couple that's awake."

Serena hadn't quite heard what Emily had said, but had caught some of it, so she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?"

Emily snapped her head toward Serena. " Oh nothing, nothing at all."

The red head shook her head, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. "Right. If you say so, but I'm pretty sure I heard something about a couple..." she said, suspicion lacing her voice, as she crossed her arms.

Emily looked shocked and aghast. " Me, oh I would never say something like that."

Serena shook her head, still with a disbelieving look on her face. "Okay, then, if you say so." she turned to face Kokie and Toroki's tent, as she heard them leaving it, seeming to be in an argument. "Good morning, Kokie, Toroki!" she shouted to them, before adding, "Well, that's one couple up, one to go."

Shortly after the lovely Byakko couple awoke, Joe came stumbling out of tent, his eyes half closed.

Serena laughed at the expression on her cousin's face, and said, "Make that one and a half up, half to go." But, just as she was saying it, Karasuki, looking much more awake than Joe, walked out of the tent after him. "Okay, never mind..."

Emily grins as Joe glares at everyone, collapsing in a heap on a ground in front of Emily, pulling Karasuki down next to him.

Kokie and Toroki sat down on the same log as Serena, and Kokie glanced around, a confused look on her face. "So... what's for breakfast? I see no food prepared..." she stated, without saying good morning to any one.

Emily looked around, holding her pocky close. "I've had my breakfast..or rather am having it.. You peoples find your own!"

Serena gave Emily another suspicious glance, and placed her hands on her hips. "That better not be all the pocky I brought." she said, before looking to Hikitsu, then to Tomite, then her warriors, then to Tasuki, and lastly to Chichiri. "Well, if we don't have anything planned, I have cold cereal... but I don't know if you guys would want to try that, since it's from my world."

" It isn't all the pocky, there's still 2 or 3 pieces left." Emily replied with a grin while her warriors and Tasuki looked at Serena oddly. " What's cereal?" Tomite asked for all of them.

Serena stared at Emily with wide, startled eyes. "Two or three… PIECES? Pieces, not boxes? I brought five boxes!" she exclaimed loudly, ignoring the cereal question.

Emily ate another piece of pocky, staring at Serena. " Well, I grabbed all five boxes, ate 2 boxes, dropped 2 boxes in the fire, and ate what was left of the third till there was three left, wait no make that two left."

"Wha…" Serena gasped out, staring at Emily with a half shocked, half angry look on her face. "Two in the WHAT! I would've preferred they weren't WASTED! Be lucky I'm not violent!" she growled, picking up a stick and holding it over Emily's head.

" They weren't wasted! I tripped and they fell in! And who said you weren't violent? You are always violent!" Emily retorted grabbing Chichiri's staff from him to use in self defense incase Serena used the stick she held….aggressively.

Chichiri grabbed for his staff as Emily grabbed it. "Hey, no da!" he yelped, grabbing the staff, before lightly hitting Emily and Serena on the heads with it. "No more fighting, Priestesses, no da!" he chided, giving them a glare through the mask.

Emily made a sound mixed between disbelief and irritation. " That hurt Chichiri! Anyways, me and her always fight. Even when we have no need to!"

Serena rubbed the slight bump that was forming on her head, glaring at the blue haired monk. "Yeah. Well, most of the time anyway. And why'd you hit me? She was the one that took your staff!" she said jokingly, placing her hands on her hips.

Tasuki laughed at the happening around him. Emily turned her head slowly to glare at him, her arms crossing in front of her chest. " What're you laughing about firehead?"

Tasuki smirked. " Well sunhead, I'm laughing at your stupidity, a.k.a Nakago look." Tasuki bit his tongue only after he'd spoke.

Emily hissed slowly, her eyes on fire. " WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!" Emily screeched, slowly and menacingly walking towards Tasuki. Tasuki backed away in fear. " Chichiri… If you do not hand me your staff in three seconds, you and Tasuki are both dead." Emily said calmly as stretched her hand out behind her toward Chichiri.

Chichiri placed his staff in Emily's hand with a sigh, shaking his head. "It seems that don't really have a choice in the matter, no da... You can borrow it for a moment, na no da." he told her.

Emily gripped the staff with a maniacal grin as she lifted it forward and up over her head as she leaped at Tasuki hitting him repeatedly with the staff. Tasuki tried to stop, but even his seishi influenced speed couldn't protect him. After a few minutes Emily backs off and hands Chichiri's staff back to him. " Thank-you Chichiri."

Tomite looked over at the heap of a body and clothes known as Tasuki. "Ouch." Tasuki sits up dazed, slowly rising to his feet before falling back down.

Chichiri took the staff back, still shaking his head. "You're welcome, Emily, no da... I'm going to go pack up Tasuki and my tent, no da..." he said, walking off in the direction of the afore mentioned tent.

Serena laughed at the dazed look on Tasuki's face, before smiling at the others, and saying, "Before we take off, I think I want to go change clothes. I've been in these for too long now, not to mention, they're way too hot for Sairo..." With that, she turned, and walked to her and Emily's tent.

Tomite helped Tasuki to his feet again. " Easy flame boy, easy." Tomite said softly helping Tasuki over to a stump. Emily watched as Serap disappeared into their tent. " I think I'll change after her." Emily said then nodded, thinking evil thoughts about how to embarrass Serena.

Kokie glared at Hikitsu, her arms crossing almost automatically. "You! You seem to be the one that's basically in charge of the fire, why is there no breakfast prepared!" she exclaimed, seeming to have completely ignored all of the other happenings, focusing only on her loudly protesting stomach. Toroki sweatdropped at his girlfriend's rudeness, and proceeded to try to get her to calm down.

As Toroki continued to try to get Kokie to stop complaining about her hunger ("Urusai ((A/n: Shut up)), Toroki! I'm not gonna calm down until there's something in my stomach! Got it!"), Serena walked out of the tent. She was wearing a black t-shirt with really short sleeves, a black skort (shorts disguised as a skirt) with a tan and white paisley print that came about an inch and a half above her knees, and black and white sandals. She also had in hand a rectangular box, and a small stack of bowls and strange metal things the seishi had never seen before (spoons).

Emily looked over at Serena. " Hey Serap, let's do those dares now," Emily then looked over at Chichiri's tent before yelling, " Chichiri get out here!" Tasuki looked over at Emily then Kokie with a groan.

Serena frowned, and grunted in an irritated manner, before turning to Toroki, trudging over to him, and quickly pecking him. Just as she did so, Chichiri had come out of the tent, in time to see her pull away. He stared at Serena for a minute, before looking to Toroki and the enraged Kokie, and then back to Serena, clearing his throat. "Uh... okay, no da... why did you call me out here, Emily, no da?"

Emily grinned evilly, " We're completing the dares." As she finished speaking Emily walked over to Hikitsu and gave him a short kiss, but longer than a peck. She then pulled away and looked at Hikitsu blushing. Hikitsu simply stared at her.

Chichiri blinked under his mask, before closing his eye, and sighing. "Okay, no da..." he said, walking over to Karasuki and Joe, quickly saying to Joe, "I don't want to do this, do not worry, na no da. I was dared to." And then he leaned forward, and kissed Karasuki, quickly.

Joe stared in anger, slowly beginning to shake about to attack Chichiri but Hikitsu and Tomite held him back. Tasuki heaved a deep sigh, walking over to Toroki and Kokie. " Toroki..'hat 'Chiri just told Joe..'ell same to you," and with that Tasuki leaned forward and quickly kissed Kokie.

"GAAH! Kill me now!" Kokie cried out, pushing Tasuki away from her as speedily as her reflexes would allow her, and wiped at her mouth violently. "Yuck, yuck, yuck, I think I'm poisoned! Help! Help! Karasuki, I need water, NOW! Quickly!" she screeched, jumping up, running right over Tasuki, to Karasuki.

Tasuki lay on the ground in a heap. Joe finally broke free of the Genbu seishi and attacked Chichiri. "DON'T YOU EVER EVER EVER KISS HER AGAIN!" Joe screamed. Emily walked over to Joe, and in one movement got him off of Chichiri. Joe wimpered in pain as Emily held his ear in the painful torture position.

Chichiri, glad to be free of a beating, 'da!'ed, popped chibi, and ran over to hide behind Serena's legs. He peered out from behind them, and gave Joe a small glare. "I told you I didn't want to, no da! It's not my fault, no da!" he said.

Emily realeased Joe's ear after he was far enough away from Chichiri. Joe looked at Chichiri, his face in a set glare. " Who dared you to kiss Karasuki?"

Chichiri's mask twisted in a slight thoughtful look, before he answered, "I believe it was Tasuki-kun, no da."

Joe laughed softly and evilly, turning to look at Tasuki, who had stood up and was standing a few feet away drinking water. Joe lunged for Tasuki but stopped as Emily popped up between them. " Do. Not. Hurt. Him. Or. The. Other. Suzaku. Seishi," Emily said slowly and clearly glaring at Joe.

Serena, who had been just watching the whole thing after having kissed Toroki - who was still stunned at her kissing him, and Tasuki kissing his girlfriend - now decided that since they had all done their dares and still, none of them had had breakfast, she would butt in. "Uh, does anyone want cereal? It's a breakfast food from Em and my world..."

Joe and Tasuki gave Emily an odd look. After a little bit Joe looked over at Serena. " I'll have some. Cereal sounds good." Tomite and Hikitsu walked over, muttering something about trying it.

Toroki finally snapped out of the confused state he was in, and then stood, walking over to Serena to try some of the other worldly food. Kokie and Karasuki - who had nearly drowned Kokie when she had asked for water - also walked over to the Byakko Priestess. "I'll try some, I suppose. Not much, just some." Karasuki said.

Serena smiled at the others, handed them each a bowl and spoon, and then proceeded to pour cereal into the bowls that were held out to her. She then sweatdropped. "Eh... I don't suppose we have cold milk, do we." she said.

Emily sighed. " I'm guessing not but that's not what I'm worried about… they've never used spoons." Emily looked around the seishi then back at Serena.

Serena stared at her best friend for a minute, before sweatdropping again, and glancing around at the seishi. "Yeah... shoot... well, since we have no milk, and the seishi don't know how to use spoons, how about we all just get bowl fulls of dry cereal and eat it with our hands...?" she suggested.

Emily and Joe nodded. " That sounds like a very good idea. Less mess and… well…. It's safer." Emily said with nod, taking her bowl and walking off.

After getting their bowls of cereal, Kokie and Toroki walked back over to their log and sat down, examining the contents of the bowls, and the bowls themselves, which were plastic bowls. Kokie reached into her bowl, picking out a couple of pieces, then stuck it in her mouth, crunching it up and swallowing. She frowned in thought, before grinning, digging in. "This other world food is really good!"

Tasuki, Tomite and Hikitsu got their cereal also, sitting down next to each other. Tasuki poked at the cereal, before grabbing a little bit and tasting it. Tomite and Hikitsu watched Tasuki for his reaction. He ate it, then ate more and more until his bowl was empty. " You 'll 'ike 't." Tasuki said through a full mouth.

Serena got a bowl full of cereal for herself, as did Chichiri, and the Byakko no Miko took a seat on the log she had been sitting at before, next to Kokie. Chichiri sat down at the place he had been before, and hesitantly tasted the cereal. After tasting it, he looked up to Serena and smiled (under the mask), "This 'cereal' is very good, no da."

Tomite and Hikitsu looked at each other and shrugged each taking a bite. Tomite's eyes bugged out and then he couldn't stop eating it. Hikitsu had a little bit more control. "This is great!" Tomite gasped in between bowls.

Serena laughed at all the seishi's reactions, watching them all digging in. "Well... I'm glad I brought several boxes, then..." she chuckled, taking small bites of her own cereal.

Emily watched the seishi, quickly finishing her cereal and setting down the bowl. " I'm going to go change." Emily said standing and walking into her's and Serena's tent to change.

Kokie quickly finished her cereal, and when she was finished, scowled into the bowl as if her glare alone would refill it. She glanced up to Serena, and shoved the bowl under her nose. "Cereal. Now." she said, making the Priestess jump, and look up at her seishi in surprise, blinking rapidly.

"Uh... okay. Here." Serena said, taking the box and pouring more of the sweet breakfast food into the bowl held out to her. She stopped pouring, and set the box down beside her, as Kokie pulled the bowl back to her, smiling brightly.

Tasuki watched Emily leave before shoving his bowl in Serena's face. "My 'ereal now."

Emily came out a short while later, clad in red t-shirt with 'Boys prefer blondes' written on it in yellow. Over that she was wearing an unbuttoned deep green mens long sleeve shirt. She also had on blue jeans and overly worn tennis shoes.

After pouring Tasuki his cereal, Serena looked around the rest of the group, asking, "Does anyone else want more?"

Tomite, Hikitsu and Joe were instantly at her side, there bowls stretched out as if they were beggars.

Serena jumped at the quickness of the three, and stared at them for a moment, before refilling their bowls, shaking her head. "There you go. Anyone else?" she asked, and got head shakes from Chichiri, Toroki, and Karasuki.

Emily shook her head and sat down between her two warriors, the side closest to Hikitsu stiff, careful to not touch him. " Sorry about that kiss Hikitsu..It was just a dare." Emily looked over at him as he finished his second bowl of cereal before wrapping an arm around her neck and ruffling her hair. " It's okay Preistess." He spoke before adding in a lower voice, " Wasn't all that bad anyway."

Serena picked up the cereal box again after watching Emily and Hikitsu, and glanced inside, not surprised to see it empty. She laughed to herself, before standing up, heading back to the tent to get her glasses, that she just realized she had, for some reason, been forgetting to wear recently. After putting the empty cereal box back in her bag and putting her glasses on, she walked back out, and asked the others, "So... should we get going?"

* * *


	4. Tall Blonde and Scary

After everyone had packed up the tents and everything they were on their way. Emily this time, upon Joe annoying insistent, was riding with Karasuki while Joe road with Serena. Tasuki and Chichiri road together, but other than that it was the normal riding partners.

They rode for a few hours, a few of the group in small conversations, until they began to get close to a village that they could just barely see. Kokie squinted in the village's direction, and upon seeing that it was, indeed, what she thought it was, grinned and threw her arms up into the air. "YES! Finally! A possibility to find another warrior, and a good place to take a rest and eat."

Emily looked over at her raising an eyebrow slightly at her outburst. " Karasuki, Who's the warriors she says we might find here?" Emily asked.

Karasuki glanced over at Kokie, and then turned forward again with a shrug. "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it's either Tatara or Amefuri, because, the last I heard, Tokaki and Subaru were still living in the capital." she said.

" Ah ok." Emily said, about to add that it was probably Amefuri since Tatara had died where Tokaki and Subaru were, stopping herself just in time as she remembered she wasn't supposed to know that.

Tasuki looked over at Karasuki. " 'Robably Amefuri since 'Atara died in 'ront of Tokaki 'nd Subaru in the 'apital." Tomite and Hikitsu looked over at him, Hikitsu raising an eyebrow. " How do you know that?" Tomite asked before Hikitsu could. "I was 'here." Tasuki replied.

Chichiri nodded at that, glancing over at Tomite and Hikitsu. "Yes, as was I, no da." he added.

Tomite and Hikitsu looked at the two Suzaku warriors. " Wow." Tomite said simply before looking forward toward the approaching town again.

They rode for a while longer, and since everyone else seemed to have found a form of keeping themselves occupied, Serena let her mind wander. _This is so weird... I've been here for three days now (if I remember right, at least...) and I still can't believe I'm actually here... wait... Em and I've only been here for three days (well, she's been here for four), and already she's found two of her warriors, I've found three of mine, we've had two encounters with Nakago (well, Em has), Joe's fallen in love, and people think Tasuki and Em, and Chichiri and I have feelings for each other... this seems too... well, like too much, in only a few days..._

Emily found herself falling quiet, and not paying attention to the conversations of the others. She stared at the vast dessert around her. As she watched the mirages, she thought she saw one of them take the form of her uncle, who had been murdered when she was young. She watched that mirage, smiling softly as memories of him invaded her thoughts, until she was unaware of anything around her but his smile.

Serena shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts, and looked up, to see that they were only a little ways from the village now. She smiled at that, and would have said something about it, but she was trying to break out of her habit of stating the obvious, so she instead just said, "Oh, look..."

Emily didn't hear Serena as she watched his smile, suddenly seeing him asleep. She watched as she thought she saw her cousin enter his room, gun in hand. She was no longer seeing the mirages, but seeing them in the flesh. " Uncle Steve…LOOK OUT!" She suddenly screamed as her cousin raised the gun and pointed it at her sleeping uncle. Emily tried to lunge to save him when it all disappeared and she was on the ground, having fallen from the horse. Emily groaned as she sat up, holding her arm in pain, her face bright with embarrassment.

Tomite and Hikitsu leaped off their horse and ran over to their Priestess. " Emily! What was that all about!" Tomite asked while Hikitsu knelt next to her checking over her arm. " Are you ok?" Hikitsu asked. Emily nodded her head and stood up. " Long story, Tomite. Tell you later."

Serena stared in the direction of her best friend in shock, having heard and seen her best friend do that. She knew she must have been seeing a mirage, and from what Em had shouted, she thought might have an idea of what it could be. "Em! Are you okay!" she called, a concerned look on her face.

Emily, with Hikitsu and Tomites help, climbed back onto the horse, sitting behind Karasuki. " Yeah, just a sore arm." Emily replied to Serena. Joe looked over at her, raising an eyebrow as if asking if she really was ok. Emily curtly nodded, holding her sore arm to her chest as Tomite and Hikitsu climbed back on their horse.

Serena just raised an eyebrow, and shook her head. "Okay, if you say so." she said, turning her head forward.

Emily stared at her lap as they rode, until she sensed someone was watching her. She looked up and saw Tasuki watching her. As soon as he saw her watching him he looked away. Emily raised and eyebrow slightly then shrugged looking forward, noticing they were almost to the town.

Little did Tasuki and Emily know, but someone else had noticed the bandit staring at her. Serena smirked slightly to herself, very glad she was observant - now, she could tease Em to get back at her. _Her and Tasuki do go well together, I do admit. I mean, they argue like bitter enemies - they're perfect for each other._ She chuckled to herself, shaking her head at her thoughts.

Tomite and Hikitsu were carrying on a conversation with themselves, while Emily watched the approaching town. Her thoughts wandered as she absently fiddled with her earring. Tasuki looked at Chichiri with a grin. " 'Njoying the 'rip?"

Chichiri looked back at him, with a small shrug. "I suppose you could say I'm enjoying it, no da." he said, before asking, "What about you? Enjoying the trip, no da?"

Tasuki grinned, showing off his fangs. " 'Ell, it is 'etter than the 'ast time."

Chichiri laughed slightly, with a nod of his head. "Yeah. I suppose it is, no da." he stated, glancing around at the others, not really knowing how to continue the conversation. He noticed that Toroki and Kokie were deep in conversation, as were Tomite and Hikitsu, and Karasuki and Joe seemed to be involved in some sort of silent communication. Serena was singing quietly to herself to an unfamiliar to him song, and Emily was boredly playing with an earring.

Tasuki watched Emily for a little bit then looked at the town as they reached it's borders. Tomite and Hikitsu finished their conversation and watched the townspeople.

As they rode through the town, Emily watched Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki, wondering if they recognized any of the many people walking down the rode around them. Tasuki was watching the towns people, grinning at one little boy showing his fangs, causing the boy to start crying.

Serena tried her hardest not to laugh as the boy started crying because of Tasuki's fangs, but instead ended up just laughing behind her hand. After her giggle fit ended, she glanced around at the people as well, and jumped when she heard two voices calling after them. "Toroki? Kokie? Karasuki? Is that you! It can't be! You're dead!" she turned her head, to see two elderly women walked quickly up behind them, gazing at the three Byakko warriors.

Emily watched the elderly women, as well as the Byakko warriors, awaiting their reactions.

The Byakko warriors turned to look at the women, confusion written plainly on their faces. "Yeah, it's us…. And… who're you two?" Karasuki said, and the women grinned brightly at them. "I know it's been at least 90 years, but it's us, Mai and Chun, Tatara's much-younger sisters!" Shock crossed the Byakko warriors' faces.

Tomite blinked, trying not to laugh at the expressions on the Byakko warriors faces. Emily smirked. " Only 90 years? Yeah that's a real short time." Emily snorted as she watched.

"Mai! Chun? The last time I saw you two was when you were about five! No wonder I didn't recognize you! Wow, you two still look identical… and pretty, too… Must be because you're the younger sisters of a seishi, right?" Toroki said, not noticing the glare that Kokie gave him at the 'pretty' remark.

Tasuki rolled his eyes at them. " Geez…'etting worked up 'ver such a 'ittle thing!"

"Little thing! Ha! Meeting old friends' younger siblings after _90 years_ is something you consider a _little thing?"_ Kokie asked, raising an eyebrow at the red haired Suzaku seishi.

Tasuki thought for a moment. " Uh…….YEAH!" Tasuki grinned, though the grin slowly lessened at the glares from the group. " Okay…'aybe it isn't 'hat small of a 'hing." Tasuki muttered.

Kokie smirked at him, then turned back to look at Mai and Chun. "So, how you doin'? Have families now, right? Home's 'n' stuff." she said, and the two women nodded at her. "Yeah, we have families and homes. Although both of our husbands are dead, unfortunately, and our children have moved out." Chun, the one who seemed to be a bit shorter, answered.

Emily smiled. _So sad…and happy at the same time. Amazing that they recognized them…since they were so young when they last saw him._ Emily thought.

Karasuki smiled at them, and glanced around at the others. "We should probably introduce you guys to each other, either that or get going. Well, I'll just quickly introduce you. Mai, Chun, this is Serena, the new Byakko no Miko, Emily, her best friend and the new Genbu no Miko, Joe, Serena's cousin, Tasuki, one of the last two Suzaku seishi, Chichiri, the other of the remaining Suzaku seishi, and finally Tomite and Hikitsu, two of Emily's warriors."

Emily, and Joe nodded slightly when their names were said.Tomite and Hikitsu raised a hand. Tasuki, being the odd duck, smiled threateningly, showing his fangs.

Mai and Chun stared at Tasuki slightly, backing a couple of steps back. "Nice to meet you. Say, this is quite an odd group, isn't it? All you need is a Seiryuu seishi. Where are you going, anyway?"

"We're working on gathering all our warriors. Going through Sairo then Hokkan. And Seiryuu warriors can stay in Kutou…FAR from us." Emily answered their question.

"I see… that must mean that the countries are in danger again… not good." Mai said, furrowing her eyebrows. Then she smiled slightly, and offered, "If you feel like searching the whole city, and since that would take quite a while, you may stay at our houses tonight if you wish."

Emily smiled. " Thank-you so much. That's very kind." Tomite and Hikitsu nodded their agreement.

Mai smiled brighter, and waved a hand in dismissal. "You're welcome. Now, our houses are on the opposite end of the village, they're right next to each other, you can't miss them. They kind of stand out. Now, you better run along and search. We'll be waiting for you." she said, grabbing her sister's arm, and dragging her off. Serena waved and called 'bye' to them as they left, as well as Karasuki, Kokie, and Toroki.

Emily pops chibi and waves her arm. " Ja ne no da!" Tomite stared in fear at his Preistess before walking away. " Bye people that know my companions but not I!"

Chichiri gave Emily a look at her using 'no da', before looking around at the others. "So, where do we search first, no da?" he asked, and Serena looked over at him, giving him a shrug.

"I dunno. Um..." before she could continue, a very happy, SD Kokie danced in front of her, and gripped the front of Chichiri's shirt, giving him a look that could very easily be called any out of the following four: darling/adorable/cute/kawaii. "I need food. We need food. We must get food. You must listen. Or gravity-defying blue hair goes 'bai-bai'. Food. Then search."

Chichiri looked down at Kokie, obviously creeped out. "Ano... alright, no da!"

Emily goes into an 'aw' attack for a brief moment before laughing and saying, " Look like she's been reading the Nonsense that never made sense fic." Tasuki looked from Kokie, to Emily, to Chichiri, to Serena, and back again before sighing. "Women..." (Malinconia: The "nonsense that never made sense" fic is an inside joke. We have a link to the fic if you want to understand it, and if so say so in a review.)

Karasuki looks to Tasuki, and sends a squirt of water at him. "I resent that."

Tasuki growls and backs up, glaring at Karasuki. " Why? It 'idn't have 'nything to do 'ith you."

Karasuki glares back at Tasuki. "Are you saying I'm not a woman?"

Tasuki looked over Karasuki. " Yes, 'eeing as 'ow you 'ook much 'ike 'Mily and 'he is in 'ow was a 'irl." Emily growled and walked up behind him."Excuse me?" Tasuki jumped slightly and glared at the young blonde. "'Ou heard 'e."

Karasuki bristled at the fiery young Suzaku seishi, and while he was distracted, snuck up behind him, put her hands over his head, and let loose a gigantic wave, completely soaking him. Serena clasped a hand to her mouth to keep from sniggering.

Joe, Tomite, Hikitsu, and Emily erupt in laughter, and applause. "Encore! Encore!" Emily yells, smirking soaked Tasuki. Tasuki screamed and spluttered, acting like he was drowning.

Karasuki smirked slightly, and patted the freaking-out bandit's head. "You can continue to say that I'm not female, but whenever you do, you will get a nice, lovely shower such as this." she purred, sugar-coating her words.

"Yes, ma'am!" Tasuki saluted before thwacking the laughing Emily. "OW!" Emily glared at Tasuki and stepped, but didn't see the mud. She slipped and fell, tripping Tasuki as she did, causing him to land on top of her.

Serena stared, and tried her hardest not to grin at this sight. "Heheheh..." she chuckled evilly, not saying anything, for fear of interrupting the hilariously romantic scene in front of her.

Tasuki stared down at Emily, not really getting off yet. He never noticed the gold around her pupils before. Emily looked at Tasuki, noticing that their faces were getting close, but not doing anything. Joe cleared his throat. "You can get off her now."

Emily and Tasuki both sighed and glared at Joe. It was then Emily noticed where Tasuki's hands were. "PERVERT!" she yelled, and roughly got his hands off her chest. "'M not a 'ervert!" Tasuki growled.

At this, Serena could no longer hold it in, and burst out laughing, hysterically. "Of c-course you are, Ta...Tasuki!" she laughed, holding her stomach, finding it hard to breathe. Chichiri looked to her, and momentarily wondered if she was alright.

Tasuki growled and suddenly, unsurprisingly the ground at Serena's feet was on fire. Emily simply clapped, a Nakago-ish clap.

"AAAH! HOT, HOT, HOT!" Serena cried out, and began trying to keep from letting her feet get burned. She looked like she was attempting to march, do the bunny hop, and do the Irish step all at the same time. Kokie and Toroki burst out laughing at her predicament.

Emily laughed even harder and impersonated her. "Oh no, my shoes, please, these are my newest ugly shoes, you can't burn them!" Tasuki quickly used his power to put out the flames, sensing a fight.

Serena stopped moving, completely still, giving Emily a look that, if Em were anyone else, would scare the wits out of the one receiving it. "... That was not about my shoes; it was painful. I am not obsessed with my shoes. And. They. Are. Not. _Ugly._" she hissed.

"You've been getting styling tips from Ryan. Ugly, ugly, ugly, ugly. Everything cool to you must be ugly. And it was so about your shoes, you're too stupid to understand pain! Even your taste in guys is ugly!" Emily shouted.

Serena gave Em a startled look at that, before she stepped towards Emily dangerously, a very irritated expression on her face. "You... you..." she looked like she was going to hurt something, before making a muffled scream/growl under her breath while looking up at the sky. She then looked back down, thwacked Em, and began storming in a random direction as fast as she could walk.

Emily growled and glared, before turning and running in the opposite direction, which happened to be a rocky mound, perfect for hiding.

Chichiri, Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki looked in the directions that the best friends had stormed off in, wondering what they should do. Kokie scowled, and placed her hands on her hips. "Grrr... bakas! Now we're not gonna get food until they make up! I thought they were supposed to be really close best friends? Yeesh!"

Chichiri sighed, and began walking in the direction that Serena had gone in. "Well, we better go find them. I'll go this way, no da." he stated, and Karasuki began following him. "Me too." she stated, and received a glare in the back from Kokie. "I'm staying here." Kokie snapped.

Joe, Tomite, and Hikitsu looked in the direction Emily had gone. "I'm not going." Tomite stated, knowing it would be painful if he did. "She's too much like my sister. Leave her alone, it'll blow over and she'll find us." Joe commented, like Kokie very hungry. Tasuki stood still. "That has got to be the greatest fight I've ever seen."

--

Emily meanwhile reached the rocks and climbed up, sitting down in a small, hidden crevice. "I hate them... I hate them all..."

--

Karasuki stopped walking after a bit, and turned back, deciding to let Chichiri take care of Serena by himself. She smiled secretly to herself, allowing herself a giggle, as she walked back to the others. _Oh Karasuki, you're playing matchmaker again... well, these two would be so cute together!_ She thought to herself, reaching the others.

--

"Serena! Serena, where are you, no da? I'm sure Emily didn't mean those things, no da!" Chichiri called, searching little places around that she could've possibly hid in.

--

Joe glared at Karasuki, having a sense of what she was doing. Tomite sat down, deciding to get comfy as he waited. Meanwhile, Emily was still hidden in the rocks grumbling.

--

Chichiri continued to search, eventually coming across a box that was tilted on it's side, a shaky sigh coming from inside of it. He blinked, and knelt down next to it, crawling around the edge to peer in. "AH!" Was the response he got from inside the box, and the curly haired girl inside it jumped in surprise, backing up away from the entrance. "... Ch...Chichiri? What're you doing here?" she asked, wiping at her cheeks obviously trying to hide the fact that she had been crying.

"I came to find you, no da. Are you alright?" he asked, and got a sigh in response, Serena drooping her head slightly, looking towards the side of the box, away from Chichiri. "She was right... everything about me is ugly... and I am stupid..."

--

Joe slowly began to walk around, waiting for someone to do something. He knew he should go get Emily, but simply couldn't.

--

Emily started to softly cry. "I hate them, they hate me. There's no point for us to work together or be on the same side. They don't care what happens to me..."

--

Chichiri frowned, and reached in, putting his hand under Serena's chin, lifting her head to look him in the face. "What? You are not, no da. She didn't mean any of that, I'm sure, na no da. It is not true." he stated, and Serena just stared at him, startled at what he had said. She blushed slightly at their closeness, and pulled back, shaking her head violently.

"No, no, no! It is true! I am unattractive, and have terrible taste! And my intelligence matches my awful looks. I'm too stupid to be the Byakko no Miko; he chose the wrong girl... he should've chosen my cousin Talitha, she's much smarter than me... and beautiful, too!" she stated, looking away from Chichiri, who was now giving her a look that clearly stated that he disagreed.

--

Joe sighed and started to slowly towards the rocks, having a feeling he should just leave her alone but at the same time he should go get her.

--

The young blonde rambled things about running away that night and going to Kutou.

--

Chichiri reached into the box again, with both arms this time, grabbed her shoulders, and shook her slightly. "Serena, you are not ugly, you are quite the opposite, no da! Very much the opposite, really... And from what I can tell, you are highly intelligent as well, no da! She is your best friend, she did not mean those things, no da. You know her much better than I do, I shouldn't be telling you this, no da." he chided, and Serena just stared at him in shock, her blush from before returning ten-fold.

"You... called me beautiful..." she stated, and upon this statement, Chichiri seemed to realize what he said, and blushed slightly as well. "Um... well, yes, I did, no da..." he stuttered, and Serena continued to stare at him, startled. Basically, it was just a long, awkward few minutes.

--

Joe stopped halfway there, staring at the rocks. "I'm halfway. That's good enough." he stated before sitting down.

--

Emily stared ahead, slowly drying her tears. _I wonder if Nakago is hearing any of this... he kept saying he had something he wanted to talk about... now would be a great time._ She thought.

--

Serena blinked, before clearing her throat, and looking up, embarrassed at this whole thing. "I suppose you're right... she probably didn't... but, my taste _is_ terrible - except in guys, I don't agree with her on that - and I'm not that great looking and I'm not that intelligent..." she said, shrugging, before beginning to crawl out of the box. "Um... Can you... move? Please..." she asked, and Chichiri nodded, backing out of the box, and standing up, preparing to help her up.

She crawled out of the box, and took his offered hand, standing up slowly, then letting go and brushing herself off. "Can we not go back yet...? I don't want them to know I was crying..." she mumbled, looking down at the ground. Chichiri gave her a smile, and patted her shoulder. "Sure, no da. Understandable."

--

Meanwhile, somewhere else, Nakago was, indeed, listening to what was happening. Smirking as he listened, he decided that he would visit the Genbu no Miko, as soon as he was finished with what he was currently occupied with.

--

The Genbu No Miko stared at the rock a few feet infront of her. She knew everyone was waiting her but she wasn't ready to go back yet. She didn't really want to apologize just yet. " I just want to be mad for awhile." The young blonde quoted one of her favorite songs.

Suddenly, a muffled 'thump' was heard from somewhere outside the crevice, and then slow, quiet footsteps echoed, getting louder, as if they were walking towards the entrance of the crevice she was in. Then, the sun was blocked by a tall, dark silhouette. "Genbu no Miko. We meet again."

Emily glared at the silhouette, her past ramblings forgotten. She slid away from him as far as she could, before speaking. "So it would seem. Stop blocking my sunlight."

The figure knelt down, letting in some of the sunlight - just enough to light the room up so they could see each other, revealing that the figure was Nakago (of course). He smirked slightly at her, and shook his head slowly from side to side. "I can finally speak with you, and no one can intrude upon us. What I have been wanting to talk about, is that I am very perturbed with the way you and the Byakko no Miko talk about me. I wish to inform you that I plan on making you pay for what you have said."

Emily couldn't help but smirk. "I can hardly wait, Nakago-**sama**." the young blonde smirked as she said 'sama' in a mocking voice.

Nakago's smirk dropped off his face, and he raised an eyebrow at her, looking slightly irritated about the 'sama'. "You are one foolish young girl." he stated, before raising his hand, and from it slowly extended light blue chi that looked perfectly harmless. It reached Em, and wound around her, before touching her; as soon as it came in contact with her, she felt excruciating pain.

The young blonde glared at being called foolish, then screamed a loud echoing scream as the chi touched her skin, thrashing and trying to get away.

Nakago smirked once more, and after a little bit, retracted the painful chi, letting it dissolve into thin air. "That is just a sample of what is going to be happening to you." he stated, before getting back to his feet, and walking away from the rocks, disappearing. (Malinconia: Yeah, he's gotten some new powers. ((sweatdrop)) When he got brought back he got them, I'd say.)

Emily lay limp against the rocks, her face contorted in pain as she cried. Suddenly, the sun was blocked once more, this time by a child only ten or so. "Are you okay?" he asked in a little boy voice.

Emily slowly shook her head before passing out, the aftermath of the pain chi too much. The young boy blinked then sighed. "Namame, I think she needs our help." The rock slowly started to move, and slowly changed into a younger, cuter, nicer looking Nakago, Emily ending up in his lap. "For once Hatsui... I think you're right."

Karasuki, Kokie, and Toroki, even though they hadn't been paying as rapt attention to the rocks as Joe, all noticed when it disappeared. They turned their heads in that direction, and stared at the blond young man, blonde young woman, and little boy strangely. "Okay... I think either I'm going crazy, or that rock just turned into a person." Kokie remarked, blinking, as the other two Byakko warriors nodded.

Tomite stared at the blonde, who he now had perfect view of since Joe had just fainted. "Hikitsu... is that.." but he was cut off by his best friends shout of "NAMAME! HATSUI!" and received a nice bit of sand in his mouth as Hikitsu took off running toward the three people. As soon as Tomite spit out the sand he followed. As Hikitsu reached them he stared at Emily. " What happened to her! Why didn't you protect her you imbeciles!" Hatsui pouted and hid behind Namame who had slowly stood up, the limp Emily in his arms. " Long story Hik." Namame muttered and started to walk towards the camp, Hatsui close behind. Tomite and Hikitsu looked at each other before following, picking up Joe as they went.

Karasuki blinked slightly in surprise, her jaw dropping the slightest bit at the fact that the people that had randomly appeared from the rock were actually people, and people that the Genbu warriors knew. "Well, this is confusing..." she observed, Kokie loudly and colorfully proclaiming her agreement, while Toroki just nodded.

Tasuki stares before basically saying the same thing as Kokie. As Namame got close to the others he called out, " Doctor! Get a Doctor! She's wounded and needs medical treatment Now." Hikitsu glared. " She wouldn't be hurt if you and Hatsui has done your job and protected her."

"Well forgive me, not my fault I was up all night with the kid and we were sleeping, waking only when she started screaming. God forbid I get any credit for the past 200 years watching him in heaven." Namame said nodding at Hatsui.

"WHAT the HELL? How'd she get hurt? Who are you? Genbu seishi! In SAIRO? Why the hell are all these Genbu seishi in **_SAIRO! _**Two hundred years? Wha-!" Kokie rambled, getting cut off only when Toroki sighed, deciding he would go get the doctor, grabbed her around the collar, and began pulling her off in the general direction of the doctor.

"We'll go get the doctor. You guys should probably wait for Serena and Chichiri then head to Mai and Chun's place. We'll meet you there." Toroki stated as he dragged a struggling and cursing SD Kokie off.

Tomite sighed and knelt down hugging the frantic and crying Hatsui. " I didn't mean to let her get hurt! It was so sudden and done by t-t-tall b-b-blonde and scary!" Tasuki growled as he looked over at Emily. "Nakago did this?" Hikitsu sighed as he looked over Emily closely. " Only chi could leave these marks." Joe slowly sat up, a deep scowl on his face. " Damn him to hell."

Karasuki sighed, frowning slightly as she walked over, looking between all the others. "You should get her to Mai and Chun's now. I'll wait here for Serena and Chichiri. She needs a comfortable bed, and to be out of this terrible heat. It can't be helping her." she said in a somewhat commanding, motherly tone of voice.

Namame nodded and started to walk away before stopping. "Where is that?" Hikitsu sighed and started to walk away, Tomite and Hatsui behind him. "I'll lead the way you imbecile." Namame frowned and followed, Joe at his heels. Tasuki stayed put. "I'll wait for Chichiri and Serena."

Karasuki nodded at Tasuki, before sighing, and sitting down on the ground, expecting the two they were waiting for to take quite a while. "I hope those two hurry." she stated, surrounding her hand in water, before running it through her hair, washing the dirt from her hair and cooling herself off.

Tasuki also sat down, watching the others walk away. " 'Hey'll 'robably be 'while."

Karasuki nodded slightly, keeping her gaze in the direction that Serena and Chichiri had gone off in. "Yeah, since Chichiri had to search for Serena, and she probably hid, so she'd probably be hard to find... and once he did find her, it'd probably be hard to calm her down..."

Tasuki nodded and sighed before flopping down. _They better hurry... Emily is in trouble._ He thought to himself. Meanwhile, Hikitsu and them where coming up on their destination. "Should we just go in or knock or what?" Tomite asked as they reached the door. Hikitsu grinned and pounded on the door. " It's Kokie, Karasuki, and Toroki's friends!" Hikitsu shouted before saying quietly. " Mix Tomite. Mix."

There came a shout from inside, before the sound of running, and then the door slid open, revealing Mai, smudges from some type of sauce on her face and the front of her dress. "You're here earlier than we thought. Where are the others?" she asked, glancing around, before catching sight of Emily, and gasping in shock, bringing a hand to her mouth. "Oh, the poor dear... quick, bring her in! We already have the other rooms ready. Quick, quick." she ushered them in hurriedly, closing the door behind them.

--

Serena and Chichiri were walking back to where they remembered the others being, in a somewhat awkward silence, having never been alone with each other before - and add the fact that they were both embarrassed about the whole scene back at the box. The copper haired girl almost jumped for joy when they spotted Karasuki and Tasuki, but immediately her happiness seeped away when she saw the looks on their faces, and that there was no one else around. In worry, she ran the rest of the way to the others, and stopped in front of them, looking between the two. "Where... where are the others? What happened?" she asked frantically.

Karasuki bit her lip, and looked to Tasuki, before looking back up at Serena. "Emily stormed off in anger to hide somewhere, and while she was hiding, Nakago attacked her..."

"_Wh...WHAT?_"

* * *

LivnaMalinconia: End chapter four! 


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